What does Ubuntu Linux look like? [Videos]

I’ve been writing a lot about running alternative operating systems to Microsoft Windows on a PC. Some readers might be wondering why one would want an OS other than Windows. Some reasons one might include:

• Price. Ubuntu and many other Linux variants are free.
• Security. Linux tends to be more secure and requires fewer patches to remain secure.
• Personal Preference. Linux can be heavily customized, much moreso than I’ve ever seen Windows customized.

Some drawbacks to running Linux include:

• Compatibility with Older Hardware. You could run into problems finding the right drivers for your hardware, particularly if own old hardware. Almost all manufacturers now provide Linux drivers on their websites for newer hardware and Ubuntu and other Linux variants come bundled with many of them, much like Windows does.
• Compatibility with Software. With some trickery, Linux can run Microsoft Office 2007 properly using WINE, a free Windows emulator than runs seamlessly within Linux. WINE comes bundled with many Linux variants. Alternatively, one might consider running OpenOffice.Org’s free Windows replacement suite. Some other software packages are incompatible with Linux even with WINE, but generally free Linux alternatives exist for virtually any application. Most of the programs I use come in a Linux flavor, including Google’s Chrome browser and TweetDeck.

If you’re curious what Linux looks like, you should watch the videos below which show off the UI.

The first video shows off the latest features of Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx:

The next video shows off a heavily customized install:

This video demos the Gnome Shell 3.0 interface which comes bundled with Ubuntu 10.04 (to activate for one session: load terminal and type “gnome-shell –replace”):

This is what the Ubuntu Netbook Remix UI looks like:

For more information about Ubuntu, visit http://www.ubuntu.com/

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