As many people understand it...

[Husse]

Maybe a bit too many words to say "stay with Ubuntu"
We will
As long as Ubuntu is a good base we will keep it.
The Debian edition was to show that Mint is not Ubuntu, but based on it
You can make a lot of distros into Mint probably

[BakUp]

Right now, it is simple what is happening to Ubuntu.

All the excitement created by Canonical, the commercial sponsor, is wearing thin.

Linux users are finding out for themselves other alternatives to a good Linux OS. Such as LinuxMint, PCLinuxOS, Sidux, and Saybayon. I mention these because they are all a very small operation with no major sponsors, and look where they have come from, out of nowhere to the top of the charts mostly just in the last year.

I wish Ubuntu the best as I do for any Linux distro.

Cheers,
Bakup

[McLovin]

Ubuntu is a good choice for Mint, mainly because of the hardware support, I have a laptop with an ATI video card, and ALOT of distros just simply will not work with it, (the Mint Debian for instance will not run any xserver because of hardware). However, i think that looking at other options for a base is good for a few reasons.
1: Alot of people love Debian, and will not use anything but pure Debian base (yes Ubuntu is based on Debian, but adds alot of things that the Linux purists refuse to accept as being needed in an os, things such as proprietary drivers, Java, etc.), and people that use Fedora would also have another avenue when the Fedora based Mint is released (if it is released).
2: It leaves room for other avenues for Mint to go down in the future, say if Ubuntu stops production (very highly unlikely) Mint will need to find another base, these experiments are looking at that
3: It can expand the Mint universe, add options for people, and new programing options for the devs.
There are many reasons to look at other bases for Mint, but that does not mean that Mint is going to leave the Ubuntu base behind, it's just too good a base for newcomers to Linux, which is what the devs are trying to do, get new Linux users and show that there is more in the computer world than Windows.

[Husse]

I would say that Mint is not aimed at "the Linux purists"

[McLovin]

I would say that Mint is not aimed at "the Linux purists"

I agree %100. I'm one who belives, make it work, get what you need, and most of all, what you WANT. if you want the proprietary software and drivers, (as I do) then get them, if not, then don't, and don't tell me I'm whats wrong with the computer world. We all have different taste and needs, that is what is so great about Linux, and Mint in particular. You have so many choices, there is nothing you can't do.
I think I want to be President of the U.S., dad told me I could, besides, I can't do any worse than the current one.

[foggytown]

I believe the "light" edition is for purists--and it is great that it exists. With that said, I have never thought about downloading it.

[Sorensei]

I think the Light Edition was also to allow legal use of the distro in a few countries with funny patent laws...