I agree with this but with an important qualification: speed of response. On a netbook (Atom processor), there can be a delay when invoking the Dash with a tap on the Windows key, as there can be on older hardware such as Centrino laptops. The delay reduces after the first invocation in a session. There appears to be 'type ahead' so even in the delay you don't lose the first (and most important) character of a program name. Sort of like Spotlight on older Mac laptops.

On a decent PC, you don't notice the delay anything like as much.

PS: before Unity, I just bound the Windows key so that it invoked dmenu (see 'suckless tools', dwm/dmenu for the minimalist approach to GUIs).

> must remember to follow the command with an ampersand if you want the app to run in the background and retain the usability of that particular terminal window

If you forget to to this from now on, just hit ^Z (to suspend the process) then run `bg' (to put it in the background).