For the third time in as many years, I’ve downloaded Ubuntu and burned the ISO image to CD. 
With Ubuntu, you can try it out by booting up the CD (the LiveCD feature). You don’t get all of Ubuntu’s functionality, or install other software, but you can get a good feel for how Ubuntu looks and feels. Performance is also a bit slow when the OS has to access the CD to retrieve more data, but that’s not a big deal since Ubuntu seems to use memory space to run the OS in LiveCD mode. My first (or maybe I should say “third”) impressions of Ubuntu are below.
Ubuntu is one of many Linux and Unix-based distributions available in the “open source” world. (In fact, the Apple OS-X is based on FreeBSD, another *nix-based OS.) Ubuntu also comes in different flavors. Ubuntu uses the Gnome desktop environment, which is basically the graphical inteface that lets you use Linux without having to access a command line. Kubuntu substitutes the Gnome environment for KDE (K Desktop Environment), which is similar, but offers a different set of default utilities. Xubuntu is a lightweight version that will work well on older computers with 256k of memory or less. An Edubuntu version adds in an educational package for both students and teachers, and there is even a version that works on the tiny “notebook” PCs out there, optimized for the smaller screen and memory size.
My first and second experiences with Ubuntu were fairly good. The desktop environment was nice, and similar enough to Windows XP that I had no problem finding my way around. The biggest difficulty was getting used to how many of the menu choices were named, and where they were located. Once over that hurdle, it was much easier. There were still some interface issues that made me feel like I was using an “also-ran”–some elements were just not as polished as what I was used to with WinXP. Especially the fonts–they had sort of a squat, amateurish look to them, unlike the nicely rendered fonts available in Windows.
The font issue in the latest Ubuntu is not quite as bad–the fonts do look a lot better, but I’d say they have another 5% to go. Still, on a working Ubuntu installation, you could easily import your own fonts and utilize them in your desktop theme. So, that’s really a non-issue for standard installations. This latest Ubuntu also contains a current copy of Firefox, where my older Ubuntu trial was at least one major version behind. (I’d love to see Chrome’s fast Javascript engine perform in Ubuntu.) Beyond Firefox, there wasn’t much to test: I ran the OpenOffice Spreadsheet, The F-Spot Photo Manager (mmm…shouldn’t that be F-Stop??) a few games, and the terminal application, which all looked OK but had limited functionality due to having no hard disk access. I did notice that when opening a PDF document, it popped open almost instantly, and I did not have to install the Adobe Reader plugin; whatever is at work here is lean and fast. I’ll be anxious to see how well Flash and Shockwave will work in Ubuntu, and see what kind of multimedia support there is in a properly installed version.
What impressed me the most about Ubuntu was how user friendly the installation routine was. Within Windows, I put the CD in the drive to see what was on it, and the autorun popped open a window with some installation choices. One of these even lets you install Ubuntu within Windows, with a few limitations, but without needing a separate partition for it. In both installation choices, they now offer an option to let you dual-boot Ubuntu and Windows XP. In previous versions, it was possible, but required some knowledge of how the computer booted up operating systems, and how to modify the correct files to make it all work. Ubuntu currently gives you the option via menu choices, making it a no-brainer to install.
Its user friendliness is what will win folks over from other operating systems. I was not able to connect to any of our printers, but a dialog box opened, offering to download and install any drivers needed, for instance. The installation dialogs are also clearly notated, where most users can probably figure it out themselves. Menus are easy to navigate, and software easy to find once you know where to look. The interface is also customizable, so a user can easily change Ubuntu’s appearance and functionality with little effort. More advanced features are available, although they are easily hidden if you don’t want to accidentally trip into them.
What about all of your Windows applications? I could never move over to another OS, due to my battalion of software in WinXP. But, I do have the option of using a few different packages (such as Wine, VirtualBox, etc.) to run Windows programs within Ubuntu. The extra layer of software probably would not help me much in the way of application speed, but it would do in a pinch. Trying to get my Zune software and players to work with Ubuntu may be a headache, but some users have already figured out how to make it work.
With today’s Ubuntu, there’s no reason to be afraid of a new operating system: performance is very respectable, and if you are already familiar with a windowed interface, you probably won’t take more than a couple of days to get used to the Gnome environment. (And having tried Kubuntu in the past, KDE is very similar to Gnome…you’ll feel at home in both.) Familiar applications such as Firefox and Thunderbird are already available for Linux, and more are on the way.
Overall, this 9.04 version of Ubuntu is one that I can highly recommend to anyone who wants a Windows alternative, mainly due to its ease of use, and respectable performance. The price is right, also: like any other open source project, it is free of charge. (You can, however, order an installation CD, with the proceeds supporting the Ubuntu project.) Still not sure? Don’t take my word for it: download the current ISO image of Ubuntu or Kubuntu, and boot from the CD. Try it a few times to see if you like it–the most you can lose is 10 cents on the blank CD-R.