Since Ubuntu 10.10 is finally becoming available today, some are seriously considering trying it out. I’m not talking just about ex-Linux fans, but about people who’ve used other operating systems as well. First of all it’s worth mentioning that this date is by far the best one in which Ubuntu 10.10 can be released, since we’re on 10.10.10. Secondly, with the release just a couple of hours away, PCMag has made up a list of 12 reasons why you’d want to at least give it a test drive once it’s out. We already know that Canonical is trying to make Ubuntu much more user friendly and pleasing to the eye than it ever was.
01. Speed
Ubuntu 10.10 is pretty fast. It will load pretty quick on any computer, but it’s lighting fast on newer machines. Reportedly the beta version could boot up in 7 seconds. That’s pretty impressive, especially for Windows users who spend close to a minute just waiting for the OS to start sometimes. After loading, opening a browser takes a couple of seconds as well.
02. The price, or lack thereof
Did I mention that Ubuntu is free? IF you’ve ever heard of this opearating system, that’s probably something you know already. Nevertheless, I’ll mention it as many times as it’s needed. You won’t have to pay for it, now or later on, unless you at one point decide that you want professional support.
03. No commitment required
This means that you can try it out, see if you like it and decide whether you want to keep it or now. You won’t be forced to change anything on your computer or lose the data and operating system you previously had. This is all thanks to LiveCD, LiveUSB, Wubi or virtualization options you get with Ubuntu. You have absolutely nothing to lose for trying it out.
04. Hardware compatibility
Doesn’t matter what computer you currently own and what hardware can be found under the hood, Ubuntu will most likely work on it. While it doesn’t necessarily have something to do with hardware, I guess here I should also add that Ubuntu 10.10 was designed to fit every type of user and was already fully translated into 25 languages, with more being added in the future.
05. Ubuntu One
It’s a personal cloud service that’s said to simplify your digital life. How so? Well, it’s pretty simple. Ubuntu One will let you synchronize files and notes and then access them from anywhere, consolidate your computer and mobile phone contacts and safely share documents and pictures with them or even buy music online and get it delivered to the computers of your choice.
06. Windows Compatibility
With Ubuntu 10.10, a beta client for Windows will enable users to access files from either of the two platforms. So whether you’re running Windows or Ubuntu, you’ll have no problem at all in accessing all files.
07. Applications
If you’ve got Windows, then aside from a basic set of apps, you’ll have to pay for anything else to install it. Sure, there are a lot of freebie applications to be found on the web, but they don’t really compare to paid products. Ubuntu on the other hand comes with key business productivity software for free, including the popular OpenOffice (more or less the same as Microsoft’s Office pack but free). Firefox, the browser that’s most commonly pre-installed as the default one on Linux, is also present as well. You’ll also get support for Flash and Google Chrome. What you don’t already find installed, you’ll be able to find in Ubuntu’s Software Center. The difference between Windows and Ubuntu is that when you’re finding software for the first one, you’ll have to hunt it down yourself and spend a lot of money on various applications. For Ubuntu, you’ll find them all gathered up in one place and you’ll be able to download them for free.
08. Great Security
Ubuntu- and all other distributions of Linux for that matter- is extremely secure and has been used in the past for a large number of businesses that require a higher level of security. Leaving aside the features of the OS itself, because Linux isn’t as popular and widely used as Windows and Mac OS X, fewer hackers actually bother to come up with viruses or other types of malware that target this platform.
09. It brings multitouch
This has been promised for a while, and it’s finally here. Ubuntu Netbook Edition, installed on a supported netbook, will now offer some new and exciting multitouch features.
10. It’s Beautiful
This is the main argument Canonical had for convincing users to download and use Ubuntu 10.10. The company promises one of the most beautiful, aesthetically pleasing operating systems out there. Linux has been known in the past to offer some eye-candy but apparently this time around it will be even better. On the Netbook Edition of the OS you’ll get the Unity interface. On top of that, users will also get the Ubuntu Font Family, a brand new typeface that’s used for the user interface menus, widgets and titles in Ubuntu and Kubuntu. It will cover Latin, Cyrilic and Greek in Ubuntu 10.10 and offer choices of Regular, Bold, Italic and Bold Italic styles and weights. People from India will be pleased to know that the OS is the first to ship with out-of-the-box support for the world’s newest currency symbol, the Indian Rupee Sign.
11. It’s Sociable
The latest version of Ubuntu will come with a new “Me Menu” which will offer fast and easy access to the user’s Facebook and Twitter accounts, right from the desktop. There’s no point in explaining just how popular those previously mentioned two sites have become. Facebook and Twitter can be found on virtually anything nowadays. Knowing that, Canonical has simplified the way in which you can access them. Users will get to connect to all of their favorite chat channels as well as make updates through a single window. Empathy will integrate all chat accounts Gmail, MSN, Jabber, AOL, QQ and more while Evolution Mail will provide an easy, intuitive e-mail.
12. It’s Linux
If you’re wondering what this means, then you’ve probably not run Linux until now. There’s a ton of reasons for which a business would want to run Linux. Everytime I’ve found that on a work computer in the past, I was pleasantly surprised with how stable and secure it is. Aside from that, it’s a pleasant change from OS’s we’re already quite used to such as Winodows and Mac OS X.
No comments:
Post a Comment