Today Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx was released, and it is a magnificent operating system.
I’ve been using Ubuntu —and projects derived from Ubuntu, such as Jolicloud— for years now, and I can’t imagine leaving the freedom, ease and beauty of this operating system. Ubuntu is free and works on most hardware; if your computer runs Mac OS X, Windows or another Linux distro, it most likely runs better with Ubuntu. Ubuntu comes loaded with a lot of the best software available, including Firefox, OpenOffice, Empathy, and Transmission while making it easy to install many other programs like Chrome, Miro, Skype, GIMP, and Last.fm.
The new Ubuntu introduces many refinements and features, but some I am most excited about are faster boot times, integrated support for Facebook and Twitter updates and UI improvements. A new Me Menu puts contacts, mail, updates and all the social features of Ubuntu into a tidy and very useful menu; when I want to update my status online or reach out to a friend I just head to that one menu and do it. That’s just one of many small but impressive changes the Ubuntu team has made.
I won’t go into more details, because there are many great sources of information about the new Ubuntu release. I recommend the official Ubuntu website and OMG! Ubuntu! There is a new manual available for beginners.
Did I mention there are cupcakes?