Ubuntu 9.10 Brings on Some Fresh Changes

Where Windows and Mac OS X releases are concerned, people take notice. After all, each OS gets a complete new version only every few years. That’s not so much the case with Linux, however, where there’s a sheer number of new distro versions each month. So when one occurs, most people don’t think too much of it. But with Ubuntu 9.10, the release has been long-awaited, even for non-users of the distro. Canonical promised some fairly big things, but did it deliver?

Since I’ve yet to install the latest version and give it a whirl, I can’t say, but it is downloaded and burned, so I hope to soon. Since I knew I wasn’t going to be able to touch the latest version right away due to time, I didn’t make it a point to check out the official site last week when the latest version launched. I finally got around to checking it out earlier, though, and I have to say… how Canonical has handled the launch of its latest distro is quite interesting, and in a good way.

First and foremost, the official site has experienced a total makeover, and it looks fantastic. It’s clean, bright, easy-to-read and gets the point across. I was keenly interested in the “For your netbook.” remark, as I didn’t realize the “Netbook Remix” version of Ubuntu was now an official product. That in itself is rather notable news. I proceeded to “Take the Tour”, and geez, what does it remind you of? Apple, perhaps? It can’t be denied… this looks like an Apple page straight off that company’s site, aside from the colors.

Up and down the page are many listed features, which aim to explain what the OS is all about to people who either haven’t used Linux or Ubuntu before, or are upgrading and want to know what’s new. Of what’s listed here, the “Software Center” is listed at the top, showing off just how easy it is to install new applications, games, tools and whatever else, which is followed by a quick look at the e-mail and communication features, a mention of Firefox 3.5 as being the choice for Internet browser, photos, music and video and even a blurb about gaming.

I have to say, Canonical did a splendid job of delivering the information about Ubuntu 9.10 to anyone who’s interested, despite the feature’s page sharing a likeness with Apple’s own. Beyond that, even downloading the distro is easier than ever. Rather than selecting from a specific server, the site auto-selects one for you, depending on which country you choose. You can either download the first version they provide, or use other available options, such as being able to install through Windows, or text-based, and downloading via BitTorrent, if you want to save the company some bandwidth.

I plan to give the latest version of Ubuntu a try within the next few days, so I’ll report again once I have formed some opinions.

Ubuntu is a community developed operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. Whether you use it at home, at school or at work Ubuntu contains all the applications you’ll ever need, from word processing and email applications, to web server software and programming tools. Ubuntu is and always will be free of charge. You do not pay any licensing fees. You can download, use and share Ubuntu with your friends, family, school or business for absolutely nothing.