Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition Features

So, what does this latest version of  Ubuntu 9.04 has to for our desktops? Many good things actually, and these include:

• faster boot speed

• enhanced application suite

• improved visual appeal

• intelligent switching between Wi-Fi and 3G

• support for Skype and Adobe Flash and Open Office 3.0

• integrated notification system

• new icons and artworks

How to Get Ubuntu 9.04

You can get Ubuntu 9.04 by three ways:

• Visiting www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu for a free download – if you have a netbook which doesn’t have an optical drive, downloading this installation and transferring it to your USB drive is a logical solution for installing Ubuntu on your netbooks.

• Visiting shop.canonical.com to purchase

• CDVisiting shipit.ubuntu.com to request a free CD

As Good as Vista and OS X, Even Better?

Here’s what the official press release won’t tell you about Ubuntu 9.04, which formally hit the streets overnight: its designers have polished the hell out of its user interface since the last release in October.

You won’t be able to notice the vast improvement in Ubuntu’s desktop experience over the past six months by browsing screenshot galleries of 9.04 or looking at new feature lists. What I’m talking about is that elusive slick-and-speedy feel you get from applications launching fast, windows moving around without jerkiness, and everything simply being where it should be in the user interface.

It’s not just the speed changes, however, that has got me excited about Ubuntu 9.04. It’s also the subtle additions to the interface; the logical move of shutdown and reboot options to the far right of the menu; the slick new notifications system; the seamless integration of the Nvidia accelerated drivers, and the cleaned-up options and package install systems.

Want Adobe Flash or other proprietary software like multimedia codecs on Ubuntu? Just search for them in the one location, under their own names. No downloading anything from any Web sites. No package management or dependencies. No apt-get. Point and click.

Total boot time from pressing power to Firefox loaded was about 22.5 seconds, with about 5 seconds of BIOS display on a Thinkpad. Subtracting out the Thinkpad BIOS display time, that means that Ubuntu 9.04 booted into Firefox in about 17.5 seconds. I think I’m going to have a lot of fun with this hard drive. Oh, and Ubuntu 9.04 looks really interesting too.

So guys what you waiting for , order it now and enjoy!!!!

Likhil Nelliyat

USB 3.0 released. But I still want to say something about USB 1.0 and 2.0.

USB 1.0
* USB 1.0: Released in January 1996.
Specified data rates of 1.5 Mbit/s (Low-Speed) and 12 Mbit/s (Full-Speed). Did not anticipate or pass-through monitors. Few such devices actually made it to market.
* USB 1.1: Released in September 1998.
Fixed problems identified in 1.0, mostly relating to hubs. Earliest revision to be widely adopted

USB 2.0
* USB 2.0: Released in April 2000.
Added higher maximum speed of 480 Mbit/s (now called Hi-Speed). Further modifications to the USB specification have been done via Engineering Change Notices (ECN). The most important of these ECNs are included into the USB 2.0 specification package available from USB.org:

• 

  The Pin Diagram

  Mini-B Connector ECN: Released in October 2000.
  Specifications for Mini-B plug and receptacle. These should not be confused with Micro-B plug and receptacle.
  * Errata as of December 2000: Released in December 2000.
  * Pull-up/Pull-down Resistors ECN: Released in May 2002.
  * Errata as of May 2002: Released in May 2002.
  * Interface Associations ECN: Released in May 2003.
  New standard descriptor was added that allows multiple interfaces to be associated with a single device function.
  * Rounded Chamfer ECN: Released in October 2003.
  A recommended, compatible change to Mini-B plugs that results in longer lasting connectors.
  * Unicode ECN: Released in February 2005.
  This ECN specifies that strings are encoded using UTF-16LE. USB 2.0 did specify that Unicode is to be used but it did not specify the encoding.
  * Inter-Chip USB Supplement: Released in March 2006.
  * On-The-Go Supplement 1.3: Released in December 2006.
  USB On-The-Go makes it possible for two USB devices to communicate with each other without requiring a separate USB host. In practice, one of the USB devices acts as a host for the other device.
  * Battery Charging Specification 1.0: Released in March 2007.
  Adds support for dedicated chargers (power supplies with USB connectors), host chargers (USB hosts that can act as chargers) and the No Dead Battery provision which allows devices to temporarily draw 100 mA current after they have been attached. If a USB device is connected to dedicated charger, maximum current drawn by the device may be as high as 1.8A.
  * Micro-USB Cables and Connectors Specification 1.01: Released in April 2007.
  * Link Power Management Addendum ECN: Released in July 2007.
  This adds a new power state between enabled and suspended states. Device in this state is not required to reduce its power consumption. However, switching between enabled and sleep states is much faster than switching between enabled and suspended states, which allows devices to sleep while idle.
  * High-Speed Inter-Chip USB Electrical Specification Revision 1.0: Released in September 2007.

  

  25GB in 70 seconds with USB 3.0

  At the first glance, the USB 3.0 ports look just like the older USB 1.1 and 2.0 ones. If a standard USB 2.0 port is made of a metal sleeve with a plastic tongue with four metal connectors embossed on it, the USB 3.0 standard features a plastic tongue with five miniature grooves that will shield the additional connectors that are necessary for the device to reach the amazing 4.7Gb/s data transfer rate.

• USB 3.0 devices supporting SuperSpeed bus are expected to be available in commercial controllers in the second half of 2009. Consumer products are expected to become available in 2010.
• To know more information click here
  

Now, let’s see some more features. The biggest threat in Windows world is viruses. In GNU/Linux world, you will feel much more secure than sitting in a fort. GNU/Linux systems are secure by design and interestingly; you would be able to use those CDs/DVDs or other media which carried viruses. In Windows world, the moment you connect them to your machine they will damage something. The same viruses will be helpless and harmless in Linux world.

In Windows, you only get the barebone operating system — you have to buy rest of the stuff to make your PC useful and that may cost you additional 20k. In GNU/Linux world, you get a complete system. With Ubuntu 9.04 version, you will get Open Office Suite — a powerful alternative to MS Word; and you will also get GIMP — a free alternative to Photoshop. Then you will get Pidgin which will enable you to chat with Google, MSN, Yahoo! users at the same time. This is just the beginning — there are games too which you can play on GNU/Linux machines. In addition to that, if you have a good Internet connection, you can download and install many free software. Installation on GNU/Linux is now much more easier than Windows. If on Windows, you have to make six clicks to install your software, on GNU/Linux just two clicks will do. Also you must have noticed that your system gets slow over a period of time. In GNU/Linux, the more you use a system the faster it becomes.

One of the best looking ubuntu

And coming to additional software, you can listen to music through Amarok which is far more advanced than Windows Media Player. Then there is VLC which enables you to play any movie format. You have GTKpod and GpixPod to sync movies and images to your iPod. Would you believe that there are more than 22,000 software packages in the Ubuntu repository which is being backed by the mother of Ubuntu, Debian?

Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition delivers a range of feature enhancements to improve the user experience. Shorter boot speeds, some as short as 25 seconds, ensure faster access to a full computing environment on most desktop, laptop and netbook models. Enhanced suspend-and-resume features also give users more time between charges along with immediate access after hibernation. Intelligent switching between Wi-Fi and 3G environments has been broadened to support more wireless devices and 3G cards, resulting in a smoother experience for most users.

The new look

Jane Silber, COO, Canonical, says, “With every release, we see Ubuntu Desktop Edition make significant steps forward in appealing to mainstream computer users. With access to the latest office productivity suite, support for Skype and Adobe Flash, and faster boot times, we’re confident that Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop Edition will see more people join millions of others and make the switch to an open platform.”

]]> http://justarrived.wordpress.com/2009/04/25/the-wait-for-ubuntu-904-is-over/feed/ 0 likhil The GUI ubuntu 9.04 GUI