Ubuntu 13.04 - Worth the Upgrade?

Right on schedule the next release of Ubuntu is here. Looking over the listed changes, there doesn't appear to be too much to get overly excited about, so is it worth the upgrade. In short, yes. The new version adds some very handy features that make is much more enjoyable for everyday use.

So, first lets cover the major visual changes you'll notice. The first is the shutdown process which now brings up a nice looking window that fits more to the Unity style of things. They have also updated several of the system application icons which help improve the appearance. There are also some new wallpapers to choose from.

They have also added some new usability features. Most notably, more options for viewing multiple application windows. The previous way remains the same, but now you can right click on a icon and view the open windows names in that list. You can also scroll on the icon and it will cycle through the open windows. This is proving to be a nice addition to offer more convenience for navigating through open windows.

They have also beefed up the notification area. There is now a indicator for Ubuntu One which is very handy for accessing your Ubuntu One files and settings. They have also modified the Bluetooth menu. On top of that, they brought back the Messages indicator which went missing in Ubuntu 12.10. I am very happy to have it back for use with Pidgin. They have also added better integration in Unity with the social media networks to tie in with Unity. Many people will find updating status from Unity to be a new fun way to find out what there friends are up too.

The biggest change, in my opinion is the improvement to performance in Unity. The interface feels much more smooth and responsive on my laptop and desktop. This is most likely due to the Unity interface being adapted for use in phones and tablets as well. 

Ubuntu has come a long ways with Unity is now shaping to be a very usable and responsive interface. Now that is Steam is available on Linux with a slew of games and many more coming every day, Ubuntu has really become my daily driver and I rarely go into Windows. Even Netflix is available on Linux now with the help of Wine.

I am very pleased with Ubuntu 13.04 and would say it is worth the upgrade for the more responsive interface alone. This surely is shaping out to be the Year of Linux.

Ubuntu 11.10 - Yay or Nay

I have been running Ubuntu since 5.10 upgrading to the latest each time it is released with 11.10 being no exception. I’ve been a huge fan of Gnome for quite some time. What I like best was its menu setup which was simple and intuitive. KDE always felt too much like Windows and it seemed very bloated. I have not tried it again in several years. I’ve read it is much improved and I’m sure is a solid product.

Ubuntu 11.10 bring many new features and changes, the first big one you see when booting the new system is the login screen. LightDM is now used and it brings to the table a faster loading speed as well as a very clean look.

The second noticeable being Unity. With 11.04 I never tried Unity and immediately changed back to the classic gnome interface. With Gnome 3.0 now in 11.10, I tried this and the old interface is very rugged, doesn’t work right and is nothing like it was with Gnome 2. I was very unhappy with this as I did not want to learn a whole new interface.

Since my preferred interface is now gone with Gnome 3, my only options are Gnome Shell or Unity. I tried Gnome Shell and it gave me nothing but issues on my desktop. It had display issues and I didn’t look into it any further.

I switched back to Unity to give it a try and see if I could learn to use it. I still liked the old Gnome interface for my desktop but I am liking several things about Unity on my laptop. The first is that you have more screen space. This is very nice for my laptop to get extra viewing space. But on my desktop with its high resolution monitor, it is more of a hindrance because it is now harder to switch between running applications. Unity has been stable for me so far. It had its quirks in 11.04 which is another reason I kept my distance but it is clear a lot of work has gone into making it more stable.

As for the rest of Ubuntu, the new software center is very nice. There are a lot of games and applications available now to purchase as well as a nice interface to find applications you may want to try. It provides a nice description of the applications with nice selection of screenshots of the applications to get a feel for what it is.

Other small changes include Thunderbird replacing Evolution, Linux Kernel 3.0, LibreOffice 3.4 and Firefox 7. Ubuntu is also using Deja Dup for doing backups. The new Ubuntu Software Center has replaced Synaptic but you can install it still if you prefer.

I am pleased with the latest updates and am pleased to see Ubuntu making strides to stand out from the other Linux distributions. I will miss the Gnome 2 interface but Unity is working very nicely on my laptop and the future is looking bright.

Next on my agenda is to give Desura, a digital distribution for gamers that supports Linux, a try to see if this could be the next big for Linux.