For those that have tried out the new Ubuntu Linux 10.10 aka Maverick Meerkat released on October 10, 2010 , the first thing you would probably notice is the very pleasing appearance. There have been a very positive improvement in its appearance and functionality. Though not revolutionarily different from 10.04, i really can not help but wonder if the crew at Linux Mint can develop anything more pleasing to the eye.

Starting from the installation process, you would immediately notice the changes.The installer has, once again, been revamped and improved.

I have never made much pretences about my preference for GUI and will never use the command line interface unless when necessary, so this whole new experience was a welcome development. However, the installation process was not smooth, especially if you are installing in a multi partition environment. The option of installing to “available free space” on the hard disk was not given. You could either make a fresh install on the whole drive or you use custom partitioning, an option not advisable for everyone. I was, eventually, able to create a multi boot partition with Ubuntu 10.10, Mandriva 2010.1 and Windows Ultimate 7. You can’t get it better than that.

The new fonts is definitely an attraction to me and I honestly must confess that Windows 7 lags behind Ubuntu 10.10, even in aesthetics.

The Software Center has also undergone another revamp and is really slick, with the interface a lot more user-friendly. Adding applications via the Software Center is easy and most users will find it very easy to use. There is also a History entry in the left panel,it gives you a detailed report of the installation activities right from the time the Operating System was installed. One of the improvements in the Software Center is the ability to purchase software. Now, most of the software you get with Ubuntu is, of course, under a free or open source license. But there’s some proprietary end user software out there for sale. The first application to appear for sale in the beta is Fluendo’s DVD player application.

With an installation disc size of about 700MB, a lot of software does not come by default on the CD like you have with Mandriva. Also, a lot of multimedia codecs would have to be downloaded to play files like Mp3 and Wma files. Even important softwares like CompizConfig Settings Manager need to be downloaded.

Those willing to take Ubuntu for a spin have the opportunity to submit their requests through the Contact Form. Only 64 bits versions of Ubuntu 10.10 or Kubuntu 10.10 are available at this time. Preference is for hand delivery but those with postal addresses, though encouraged to signify their interest, will have no guarantee as regards delivery date.

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