Monday, April 6, 2009

Linux is ready for the desktop?

After testing the new beta of Ubuntu Linux 9.04 I am convinced that it is more than ready for the desktop. I will certainly be installing it as the primary OS on my old Sony laptop.

The ease with which you can install Ubuntu on a variety of hardware is even better than Windows Vista / Seven. Windows does an extremely good job of automatically finding drivers, and yet Ubuntu manages to better this! Very impressive indeed. It literally takes a few minutes to install proprietary drivers (if needed) and the codecs used to play your favourite content using Firefox 3.

The whole process is seamless and automatic, not requiring any manual hunting or downloading from various websites. Ubuntu is pure class. Couple this with the fact that it comes with an extremely sensible set of applications including a full office suite and you are on to a winner.

Another huge advantage (of which there are many) of using Linux is that not only is it free, but it can be updated to the full next release without needing to re-install from disc. So install the OS once and it will update itself to major new releases forever. It is also incredibly fast and efficient.

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