The majority opinion in the Ubuntu community seems to be that the Ubuntu Software Center is a terrible piece of software and that it needs to be replaced or fixed urgently. We compiled a list of reasons why users don't like the application and why they think Canonical should really consider a change.

The Ubuntu Software Center is an old application, and it's one of the first of its kind. Ubuntu has been using a Software Center long before other operating systems got this idea. We're not referring to the USC as a package manager, but as a regular store for apps. The fact that it's also a package manager - even if it's not a really good package manager - is a bonus.

In any case, the Ubuntu Software Center hasn't been improved in the past couple of years, and it's really starting to show. The operating system has been evolving around it, and that piece of software remains pretty much the same. If you check the version number, you'll notice that it's 13.10 and that says a lot.

We reached out to the community a week ago, and we asked them why they don't like the Ubuntu Software Center and they responded. To be fair, a small number of users claimed that they didn't have anything bad to say about USC and that it was doing what it was supposed to.

The reasons Ubuntu Software Center is not liked by Ubuntu users

The biggest problem seems to be the fact that it's slow. Most uses say that it loads really slowly and that it takes a long time to do anything. Granted, if you're using an SSD, you probably won't feel this problem.

Another issue is the fact that the software requires users to register with an Ubuntu One password for applications that are free and can be downloaded from other sources. It's one thing to ask for an account when you buy something, but when you try to get Steam, it's just annoying.

Another negative aspect seems to be the lack of transparency during installations. When you install stuff from the Ubuntu repos or just a DEB file, the application doesn't provide any kind of feedback on what dependencies are needed. This is important because some apps come with a lot of dependencies. For example, it's possible to install an app that usually runs in KDE desktops. That app will bring many KDE dependencies, but you can't know that.

Other issues include crashes, poor recommendations for apps in the main window, freezes, and some users are even saying that it's too dumbed-down. The bottom line seems to be that change is needed for the Ubuntu Software Center, whether it's a complete replacement or fixing. It's probably not going to happen for the 15.10 development cycle, but something must be done for 16.04, which will be an LTS release.