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Ubuntu 11.04 makes a splash with its new 'Unity' interface |
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Canonical has announced the general availability of its new Ubuntu operating system, version 11.04, that introduces the new Unity, “which is simpler, easier to use and more beautiful than previous editions of Ubuntu.” The culmination of two years’ design and engineering effort by Canonical and the Ubuntu community, the Natty Narwhal as 11.04 is called, “stands out from its competitors as a genuine free alternative to Windows, allowing users to personalize their PC with free and paid apps in a way that’s proven hugely popular in the smartphone and tablet market,” Canonical said in a statement. Canonical CEO Jane Silber said the release offered users a PC experience that is both stylish and efficient and would recruit an “entirely new wave” of users to free software. The Unity interface works by default for newer hardware, providing modern graphics for a visually rich interface inspired by smartphone and tablet design thinking. Older computers, depending on their graphics cards, may default to the “classic” Ubuntu experience as Unity is designed for more recent and upcoming hardware. The Gnome desktop is also a matter of choice for users more comfortable with that environment, which is available at a single click during startup. Features of Ubuntu 11.04 include a clean workspace, a launcher on the left-hand side of the screen, and a unified desktop interface across their netbooks, notebooks or desktop computers if they use the operating system on more than one computing device. Applications and files are now searchable, a departure form the earlier traditional interfaces, which brings files, applications, music and video together at a single location. Easily customisable, users can change their desktop, launcher, settings, while selecting applications through Ubuntu's Software Center for easy access. For an office productivity suite, 11.04 has adopted the recently forked LibreOffice. Incidentally, Oracle recently pulled the plug on the original OpenOffice after most members of the community developed software decided to move out in favor of the fork. Natty Narwhal also supports touch screens, with gestures triggering actions like scrolling, workspace-switching and expanding and contracting screens. Canonical and the Ubuntu community will continue to add touch and gesture support to common applications. The version also builds in Ubuntu One, a cloud service for individual users, that offers free online syncing and sharing solutions for contacts and files, and a music streaming service currently available on both iPhone and Android platforms anywhere in the world. Visitors to Ubuntu.com can test-drive the operating system online using only their browser, without requiring any download. |
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