New Desktop Wallpaper
This is one of the tricks Ubuntu has been playing on its users for years. Every time when a new version of Ubuntu comes out, we see a brand new set of wallpapers that have been designed in align with the Ubuntu philosophy. This indeed impresses the Ubuntu user. With 10.10, it is not just a couple of wallpapers, but a rich set of Ubuntu wallpapers for the eye of its users.
The Installer
There are many types of Linux installers used by various flavors of Linux. When Ubuntu was first released, they took a unique turn in terms of the installer and tried hard to make it a simple and autonomous process. In align to the original goal, the latest Ubuntu installer has gone through many improvements in terms of both graphical user interface and the functionality. The new installer allows the users to download the packages from the Internet at the initial stages of the configuration process. This avoids the earlier process of updating the entire system at the first boot. Therefore, Ubuntu system becomes up-to-date and functional as soon as the installation process ends.
Theme Tweaks
Ubuntu theme is one of the most loved features of Ubuntu distribution. The developers and designers of Ubuntu made the themes quite unique for Ubuntu which catered for both usability and eye-candy requirements. There are two new themes introduced by Ubuntu: Radiance and Ambiance. When it comes to features and basic look-and-feel, the two themes are the same, except the color tone. One is darker than the other.
Ubuntu Software Centre
This is one of the most hyped features of Ubuntu 10.10. It is correct to say that, this has been the most anticipated feature of Ubuntu 10.10 for some time. The existence of Ubuntu Software Center was announced at an Ubuntu Developer Convention and the hype started from that day onwards. The Software Center makes it easy for anyone to install any software application on Ubuntu, including commercial software. The Software Center functions the same way as how AppStore functions for Apple. At the moment, there are only a few software that can be bought through Software Center. With time, this is expected to expand.
The Volume Indicator and Music Player Integration
For the music enthusiasts, this is one of the most important features. Without having to open your favorite music player every time you want to change to a new song or control the volume, you can now do all this using the top menu bar’s system tray. By integrating both volume control and music player, the new system tray is less cluttered. By default, Ubuntu’s default music player, Rhythmbox works perfectly with this integration. To be frank, I haven’t tried out any other music player with this setup yet. I will let you know as soon as I try something else to see whether those music players can be controlled through this implementation.
Gnome Shell
Gnome shell has been there for some time as an unstable build. The latest version of Ubuntu has decided to add Gnome shell as a preview for what is coming next from Gnome. This is one of the important directions of Gnome development and its roadmap. The users who would like to experience the future of Gnome shell, can go ahead and start using it. Gnome shell has been designed with brand new design and usability features in mind. The Gnome shell resembles a netbook operating system.
Ubuntu Font
Gnome font is one of the new featured added in Ubuntu 10.10. I find Ubuntu font as one of the most innovative and user-friendly fonts that has been developed for Linux in recent years. I used to change the default font of Ubuntu as soon as the installation process finishes, but with Ubuntu 10.10, that did not happen.
Author: Nilanka
