[edit] Before Mint 6

mintMenu: Sometimes when launching synaptic the "mouse could not be grabbed" ->> seems related to gksu and some timing issue.
mintMenu: focus problem -- If any of the “Computer”, “Home Folder”, or “Networks” buttons receive focus, I can’t start typing an application name without clicking on the “Filter” text box.

mintUpdate: doesn't always refresh itself.
mintUpdate: The icon used for when Synaptic or apt is running: a broken lock. It worries me because I’d expect that icon if my dependencies were broken, something which has happened twice in my experience with Linux (both my fault). Maybe just an X over the lock would be better?

mintBackup: should know which version it is and whether it's compatible with some backup file.

mintInstall: no error was produced when attempting to install “somerandomapp” in the APT tab, and clicking “Search” gave me a window with an empty text box
Start page: Have a way to tell users of an older release that a newer one is available.. make it noticeable, but not intrusive at the same time.

[edit] For Mint 6

Branding for mint tools - titles should be localized or the same as terminal commands
Fortune preview in mintAssistant - resize problem and non-fixed font make animal squished
mintMenu: drag items to other categories, edit item, remove/create
mintMenu: resize feature.
mintMenu: ability to change what hitting enter does after filtering the results
mintMenu: right click an application and define a shortcut to it
mintInstall: when installing an application, it will ask if you want to install using the Default or Local repositories. In my mind, Default == Local. Not so, however; “default” means the repository defined in the .mint file, and “local” means your own sources.list file. Maybe the label “mintInstall’s Repositories” or “Application.mint’s Repositories” instead of “Default Repositories” would suit better?
mintBackup: progress report on backup and recovery.
mintAssistant: only system settings... but what about a first-run wizard for user preferences? Bling, theme, personal gconf entries..etc.
mintNextRelease: develop a tool to upgrade to the next release
Improve XFE look.
Search function in context menu --> gnome-search-tool --path=
mintDesktop/mintAssistant: choice between one/two panels and mintmenu/gnomeMenu.
OEM install
User home dir is readable by everyone.. should it by default? should mintAssistant ask the user about this?
Brand LSB (expect software incompatibilities)
Add Tasque and Giver
Add flegita and sabayon?

Replace alacarte with our own implementation
include partimage on the liveCD
Look and feel: include nimbus theme as an alternative (from OpenSolaris)
Think of a Gamer Edition
ACL support: http://rofi.roger-ferrer.org/eiciel/ and http://ubuntu-tutorials.com/2008/06/21/facl-support-in-nautilus-with-eiciel/
Advanced file permissions in Gnome: gconftool-2 --type bool --set /apps/nautilus/preferences/show_advanced_permissions True
Put /tmp in tmpfs and boost firefox by changing its browser.cache.disk.parent_directory to /tmp/firefox (as done in Bubuntu).