Just thought I'd share what i have been messing around with... Linux Mint was working on putting the gnome shell into Mint 11, yet delayed in doing so, it is said, until Mint 12... I hope that they always give the fall back to classic gnome (gnome panel), yet give by default a Gnome Shell (gnome 3) session...

Anyhow, here is a screen shot of Katya 11 Running the Gnome Shell, provided by the use of the UGR (Ubuntu Gnome Remix http://ugr.teampr0xy.net/home-1) script which can be downloaded and ran very easily in most 11.4 "buntu-ish" distros as well as official Natty Ubuntu... It will give you the Gnome Shell as well as a fall back classic Gnome session available at login...

Natty 11.4 with Gnome Shell, no Unity

I have taken a few days to create this remaster distro... It is a full and functional live system with Natty 11.4 as it's base, minus all Unity, replaced with Gnome Shell 3... I created this with iQunix 11.4 32 bit... The Gnome Shell supplied and installed by the UGR (Ubuntu Gnome Remix) script...
This will install from live mode only... So if you are wishing to install, run in default live mode, login as the live user (no password), be sure that the session is set for “Gnome” and not “Gnome classic”. Then search in the applications for the “Install UGR release” installer launcher... From there on out it will install like any other Ubuntu distro... Enjoy!!!

Included software pre-installed:
Remastersys
Ailurus (like ubuntu tweak, minus the compiz)
Rhythmbox
Fatrat download manager
All restricted non-free medibuntu codecs
Vlc
Thunderbird
Chromium browser
Guvcview webcam application
Libre office
Tweak advanced gnome shell settings (Gnome shell extension)
Nvidia

Download Links:
Iso: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32161903/Ubuntu%20Gnome%20Remix/UGR-11.04-32bit.iso

Md5: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32161903/Ubuntu%20Gnome%20Remix/UGR-11.04-32bit.iso.md5

Read Me:http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32161903/Ubuntu%20Gnome%20Remix/READ%20ME%2C%20remix%20info