Ubuntu 8.04.1 reviews

I just installed latest ubuntu to a USB stick using unetbootin. This is first time trying ubuntu outside of live CD environment since 7.04 and i’m really wow’d and impressed by how far it’s come in the key areas linux is critical of.. simplicity, performance and ease of use.

Simplicity for starters. I’m fairly experienced in linux, with work we operate fedora and centos servers and i know one of the key things that makes average people shy away from linux is terminal and having to access the command line. I’ve been playing with ubuntu for a few hours now installing programs to use and media codecs and stuff and i can only say i’m shocked I have not yet needed to access terminal to do anything. I think they’ve really nailed it in terms of simplicity. X picked up my graphics card which i will say is ATi X850 and it’s running compiz and all the bells and whistles perfectly from boot. It also has my creative 5.1 soundcard working from boot perfectly too which i would have expected more harder functioning or to not even work at all considering the restrictions under Windows Vista it has. This really has been a “just works” experience so far. I’m very impressed by it. I can’t stress it enough that if you’ve ever had a thought pass your mind whether you wanted to try Linux but weren’t sure if you could or were afraid you had to read countless docs and stuff on how to use it you can forget all that with ubuntu 8.04.1. It’s simply amazing what they’ve accomplished with it. If you have a spare CD, hard drive or USB stick around i really do suggest you try this.

Performance now ubuntu when i last tried it felt very glitchy at times with compiz stuff and stuff in general and it felt very much like Vista does currently on my system, it’s hard to describe but it’s like that feeling you get like it’s usable but not small and when you want to just click and get things done quickly you feel like softwares holding back a bit. Anyway, Ubuntu now feels even with compiz and what not all on as smooth as windows xp but with eye candy of vista and stuff. If your a fan of eye candy themes and customizing without getting a draggy system like can happen at times with vista this is definitely up your alley!.

Simplicity is both the above all rolled into one install software and codecs seems to be very simple. Starting with codecs, before on 7.04 i had a hard time getting them and i ended up just getting automatix to install them. Now under 8.04.1, I just opened rythmbox added music it asked prompted me it needed codecs and if i wished to install them which i clicked yes, and all done. Same applys for movies. Very very simple stuff. For those who still want to use automatix but found it doesn’t exist no more, it does and using it is still possible for those on 8.04.1. I gave it a try and still as simple to use as ever you can find it here: Ultamatix

In the end i couldn’t imagine linux done better or more simple and ready to use on a home PC. I very much recommend this to anyone tempted or those who’ve contemplated it in the past but never got round to it.

Try Ubuntu today!.

Digix