I am a linux n00b too. Last weekend, I installed Ubuntu 11.10 is a shiny new Intel i3 machine. Just started learning the Unity interface. It is very difficult. The alt-tab does not show the each window of the open apps. The windows of the same program are clubbed together. WTF, how do I select them?
To me, Unity is a usability nightmare. As I have recently migrated from WindowsXP, this seems to be very hard. I hope I can learn to live with Ubuntu.
Also tried Gnome 3 shell, but quickly reverted to Unity as Gnome shell was even more horrible.
When you get to the app you want, hit alt-` (or you can hit alt-` directly if you're already on the app you want) and then you'll get a preview of all the individual windows.
This made me chuckle after just reading a rant about someone leaving Linux and going back to Windows because of all the secret handshakes and tribal knowledge required.
FWIW, only Windows behaves likes this. Most other window managers and OSes behave as you described. So this is technically not an issue of functionality, but an issue of your preconceptions of how a app switcher should work.
To me, Unity is a usability nightmare. As I have recently migrated from WindowsXP, this seems to be very hard. I hope I can learn to live with Ubuntu.
Also tried Gnome 3 shell, but quickly reverted to Unity as Gnome shell was even more horrible.