The open source community tout ubuntu as being the Windows beater. The alternative everyone is looking for. They claim that it is the most easy-to-use linux variant out there.
In a way, this is true. But saying that Ubuntu is the most easy to use OS is much like saying that the the American space shuttle Atlantis is easier to use than the Buran(The Russian Alternative). To a regular person they are both inoperable. Despite many efforts, it falls miles short in the ease-of-use department, as compared to Microsoft’s Windows.
Installing ubuntu is very easy. The installer has been designed well, and the whole process can be completed very quickly and without hasstle. And after installation, most things work out of the box. Most, not Everything. Agreed, not everything works out of the box after a fresh Windows install either, but getting the drivers to work on linux is hard work. Most hardware manufacturers view the open source initiative in the same way as the people of the middle ages viewed Columbus’s idea tat the world was spherical- They think every one in the community is downright crazy. And because of this, they refuse to support free software and do whatever they can to prevent people from switching. So in order to get hardware working one has to spend hours on the internet and find a solution. The average computer user will never want to do that.
Also, installing software is not the same. All the standard software will not, by an unwritten rule, work on linux. You need to look for alternatives. Alternatives are available for virtually every software. However, these alternatives do not work as well as the original and are, more often than not, harder to use.
All is not bad though, Ubuntu is a very stable OS and the dreaded BSOD is non existent. Also, you do not have to worry about viruses taking over your computer and stealing all your personal details and information.
Ubuntu is a good Operating system. It is not for the faint hearted though. You should be willing to spend many otherwise productive hours on it to try and get rid of the inevitable bugs. Efforts have been made to make it user friendly, but they have not got there yet, a lot more can be done. Changes have to be made in many areas to ensure mainstream acceptance.
If you do want to try it, I suggest you do a Wubi install. The Wubi install lets you install Ubuntu as a regular software. Which means you can use it without creating a partition and uninstall it just as you would uninstall software normally. Do a google search for Wubi for more details.
This review was written on Ubuntu 9.04, and has affected my review quite a lot.