I like it. It is like Debian and Ubuntu. The layout reminds me of Windows. It is basically just like Ubuntu 10.10, and most of the updates come from there. I tried Adriane Knoppix and it was pretty cool, too. I am going to try Mepis and see what it is all about. With virtualbox you can run Windows inside of Julia.

About itself it says it is the fourth popular and the servers are swamped with people downloading the operating system. It says it is not as stable as Ubuntu 10.10 because it is more geared to Debian Squeeze and Ubuntu 10.10 is sticking to Debian Lenny.

LMDE in brief

* Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE) is a rolling distribution based on Debian Testing.
* At the moment, it comes as a 32-bit live DVD with a Gnome desktop.
* The purpose of LMDE is to look identical to the main edition and to provide the same functionality while using Debian as a base.

FAQ
1. Is LMDE compatible with Ubuntu-based Linux Mint editions?

No, it is not. LMDE is compatible with Debian, which isn’t compatible with Ubuntu.
2. Is LMDE fully compatible with Debian?

Yes, 100%. LMDE is compatible with repositories designed for Debian Testing or Debian Squeeze.
3. What is a rolling distribution?

LMDE constantly receives updates. Its ISO images are updated now and then but users do not require to re-install it on their systems.
4. How does LMDE compare to the Ubuntu-based editions?

Pros:

* You don’t need to ever re-install the system. New versions of software and updates are continuously brought to you.
* It’s faster and more responsive than Ubuntu-based editions.

Cons:

* Although it’s using Romeo for unstable packages, LMDE continuously changes as it receives updates and new software. Compared to a frozen version of Linux Mint which changes very little once it’s publicly released, it’s not as stable. Things are likely to break more often but fixes can also come quicker. For this reason, LMDE requires a deeper knowledge and experience with Linux, dpkg and APT.
* Debian is a less user-friendly/desktop-ready base than Ubuntu. Expect some rough edges.

5. Will it come in 64-bit? With KDE or other desktops?

The decision wasn’t made yet. LMDE is an experiment. Although we’re quite confident it will gain in popularity, we want to get an idea of how many users will switch to a Debian base before going further with it and bringing impacts to other editions. The idea of reaching the same level of functionality without using Ubuntu is quite challenging. It means there are missing pieces in the equation, components which need to be ported or re-written, and whether the pros outweight the cons, this is something we need to assess. A 32-bit Debian-based Gnome edition allows us to work on this with the community. When it’s fully on par with the Main Edition and if there is a demand for it, further editions will come for LMDE.
Additional notes:

* About the installer: The live installer is developed from scratch with Debian in mind. It’s configurable and it can be re-used by other Debian-based distributions. We noticed a lack in live technologies and in live Debian installers, so we’re happy to take the lead on this. If you’re a developer and you’re interested in using it, have a look at its source repository and don’t hesitate to contact us so we can help you fork it and merge upcoming changes between our two projects.
* About bugs: Please do not use Launchpad for bug reports. We’re considering the best strategy to collaborate with upstream Debian developers. In the meantimes, we opened the following forum thread.
* About the “wrong ISO”: We recorded that 0.3% of our user base got the wrong ISO, which was synced a few days ago. If you did, you can either download the correct one, or simply update live-installer using the update manager.
* About the media: It comes as a liveDVD. Locales work differently in Debian and the package base requires more space. We made LMDE compatible with unetbootin though, so you can install it using a USB stick.
* Dedicated chat room: #linuxmint-debian is open to new LMDE users on irc.spotchat.org.
http://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1527

It does sound neat. I've been meaning to see if it's a live cd. I typically carry a knoppix with me if I'm doing a diagnostics/ repair. It wouldn't hurt to carry another distro.
Thanks for reminding me ;)

I'm so excited about Linux Mint moving to Debian. What they've done with ubuntu has been awesome. If they can achieve anything close to that with a debian base, they would become more power than you can imagine. Or at least my favorite linux distro.

I am presently back to Debian. I really wanted to try Mepis. I tried two times to download it. The 8.5 is stable. It just wouldn't let me do it. What really is cool is now that I have been on Linux for a while is that Windows seems awkward where before Linux was. KDE is okay once I got back to the KDE layout and off the windows layout on Debian. I am more used to Gnome between KDE and Gnome. I thought Adriane Knoppix was just awesome once I got past the screen reader and back to the normal desktop, Mint Julia had the ability for the KDE 4.5 where Debian Lenny 5.07 is still on KDE 3.5. I liked the wallpaper on Julia with the pieces of glass coming at ya. I am trying to get my USB hard drive back online after making some mistakes with the partitioner. Mint 10.10 Julia is almost dummy proof as Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick. I say almost because of my track record.

It is letting me change the KDE to Gnome by putting Lenny back in and going by Lenny's suggested in the Kpackage apt. Cool.

Freaky but I like freaky. I got KDE and Gnome running at the same time. It sure took kpackager a long time to run. Lenny told me I can have both running at the same time. As Johnny Carson would say, "I did not know that."