If you like the pretty and simple window manager, then I would like to recommend for you to try Enlightenment DR17, it is only a beta, but it has great potential.

If your application desires are beyond the current capabilities/features of opensource applications then you are always free to recommend changes to the development teams or better yet submit an update to the application which will add those capabilities.

Per my knowledge apt-spy currently points to the best debian mirrors, not ubuntu. I think it would be a good idea to contact cannonical to ask them to modify the the functionality of apt-spy within their distro to utilize a list of ubunut specific repos and even give an application option in gnome to allow users to trigger it through the gui.

By then again I use Slackware and don't touch gnome, gnome based apps or even the apt system, so an advanced ubuntu user is welcome to pitch in and correct me if necessary.

jdeslip,
In response to the previous discussion about spt-spy, it looks like Ubuntu has it's own implementation.

[ol][li]Go to System -> Administration -> Software Sources[/li]
[li]on the ubuntu Sfotware tab go to the "Download from" drop down box[/li]
[li]Choose Other[/li]
[li]Click on the "Select Best Server" Button[/li]
[li]When the search is done click on "Choose Server"[/li]
[/ol]

As for the opinions about the desired user base. I have spent some time helping others on IRC boards, forums and in person with Linux related issues, in which I expect that a certain amount or research has been done prior to asking for help. The users who want the aesthetics and high multimedia benefits will most likely be so used to the point and click style that they will not take the time to research, or even state that distribution and window manager they are using, they will expect the open source community to fix their problems with insufficient information which will drive many like myself away from the free support venues.
It would be beneficial to have their numbers push us to a higher market share, however the potential decrease in free support communities can hurt our cause more than helping us.
To obtain the users you want I would greatly recommend that the support vendors who will be tasked with helping those users and stand the greatest benefit from that user base contribute to the appropriate development teams to lure those users to Linux

At this point my time and money is being spent on getting the capabilities that I want and need, not pushing to fulfill the expectations of windows and mac users. I have nothing to gain from them but headaches, which I won't accept unless properly compensated.