What is Ubuntu linux?

Ubuntu Linux is an operating system, like Microsoft Windows or Mac OSX, but with the huge difference of being totally free and Open Source. It can be installed on basically any PC, Mac, or notebook. It is owned by no company, as it is being developed by community of people all around the world.

Whether you use it at home, at school or at work Ubuntu contains all the applications you'll ever need, from word processing and email applications, to web server software and programming tools.

Ubuntu is and always will be free of charge. You do not pay any licensing fees. You can download, use and share Ubuntu with your friends, family, school or business for absolutely nothing.

The latest Ubuntu release brings the best of open source together on a platform that is here to stay with 3 years of free updates. With hundreds of improvements and the addition of the latest version of Firefox amongst other outstanding applications, more and more users are assessing why Ubuntu wins more and more converts with every release.

Productivity tools: Ubuntu supports all of your favourite web-based mail programs like Yahoo(TM) or Gmail (TM). But for the office, Evolution provides all the calendering, contacts and full function office email you need. Pidgin IM also puts you in instant touch with colleagues and integrates with your personal IM services simply and easily.

Browsing: Including Mozilla Firefox (Beta 5) - tested and stabilised for a platform. Faster, safer and themed for Ubuntu.

Photos: Upload from your camera or phone to F-Spot and manage, tag, share and sort your photos and upload easily to you favourite social networking sites.

Music and video: Plug in your PSP, iPod, MP3 player; share playlists with your friends; buy in the creative commons online music stores, stream more live radio and plug in more devices with UPnP.

Office applications: Word processing, spreadsheets and presentations can all be delivered through Open Office. And, they completely integrate with the proprietary office applications out there. The big difference is that they are free.

Accessibility: At the core of the Ubuntu philosophy is the belief that computing is for everyone and access should be free and complete whatever your economic or physical circumstances. Ubuntu is one of the most accessible desktop operating systems around.

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Who is using Ubuntu?

Check out who and why is using Ubuntu Linux. Read the stories below.

Rob Beard, Proprietor of Esdelle Computers, http://www.esdelle.co.uk

I had dabbled with various distributions of Linux when trying to get away from the bugs, slowdowns and grief which I was experiencing with Windows. When I tried Ubuntu I was amazed how easy it was to use. It's user friendly for new users but powerful enough to be used by advanced users. It provides everything I need:- Web Browsing with Firefox, E-Mail with Thunderbird & Evolution, Office applications with OpenOffice.org, Media Playing with Totem and even stuff for the kids such as TuxPaint, TuxMath and SuperTux. I'd certainly suggest anyone giving it a try. It's not just for the computer geeks, it is easy enough to install and use by anyone. I recently converted a friend's mother from XP to Ubuntu. No longer was she experiencing crashes, everything Just Works (tm).

I'm looking forward to the next release of Ubuntu (Intrepid Ibex), I'm hoping that I'll be able to convert some more systems from XP to Ubuntu.

Rob

Sven Katesh, High School Student

When I first started reading about Ubuntu, I wondered what Linux was like. I was braced for a difficult to use, command-line interface. Guess what: Ubuntu was nothing like that. For the past year and a half, I've been using Ubuntu Linux...consistently. It's a merger of two worlds: the nontechnical and the extremely technical. Ubuntu has something for everyone; regardless of what you do, or what you plan on using it for. Simply the best distro out there.

Hector aka modprobe @ ubuntuforums.org, Desktop Support Tech

I have been using Ubuntu since version 6.06LTS and it just got better and better with every new version. Recently I ran into an issue with a PCMCIA wireless card that would refuse to work in Windows when inserted into the laptop slot. I was about to give up on it and thought the card was defective. It was my good old reliable, first wireless card. Anyway, I set it aside for a while and ended up buying a MiniPCI card for the laptop and everything was fine(gave the laptop to my wife and she's happy). Then I get my hands on another laptop, but this time around I decided to install Ubuntu on it. I thought to myself to give the PCMCIA wireless card another try. Well lo-and-behold, I inserted the card into the slot and watched in amazement as Ubuntu just made it work: found my AP router, connected to it, etc. Both laptops are the same model, BIOS version, hardware, etc. except one is running Ubuntu and the other Windows. Guess which one I use everyday? :-)

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