ubuntu Rate Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

[butilikethecookie]

There are several icon themes you can install and apply using tools like Ubuntu Tweak. My personal favourite: the Faenza icon theme..

Love it! Thank you! The default icons were beginning to annoy me.

[threetonesun]

The usability of Linux really depends on what you usually use your computer for. Yeah, if you're in adobe CS all day, or if you NEED access/ excel / word, or you NEED certain IDEs, then sure, Linux isn't going to cut it. For the average home user, though, it's not really lacking in anything these days, and in terms of free software, it's on par or better than OSX / Windows.

[UncleSpellbinder]

...For the average home user, though, it's not really lacking in anything these days, and in terms of free software, it's on par or better than OSX / Windows.

Well said. I was dual booting Windows 7 and Ubuntu for years. Last week when installing 12.04, I wiped the drive. No more dual booting, no more Windows. In the past week of using the computer the same way I did with Windows, I've not had an issue. Documents, PDFs, Images, mp3/flac, AVI, MKV, MP4, WMV, updating apps to current - all no problem.

I'm really loving this version.

[Growled Member]

I gave it a 2, mainly for Unity. I hate it. It's slow and gets in my way.

[Syanide]

I'm rating it because I wanted to give it a second chance, Tried it and did not fancy it. Am I not allowed to be entitled to an opinion?

Apologies, of course you can rate it, but your first post wasn't really clear on which version you tried. And god knows Linux users tend to appear in any DE/distro discussion to glorify the thing they're using despite the fact it has nothing to do with the discussion.

[.Neo]

The usability of Linux really depends on what you usually use your computer for. Yeah, if you're in adobe CS all day, or if you NEED access/ excel / word, or you NEED certain IDEs, then sure, Linux isn't going to cut it. For the average home user, though, it's not really lacking in anything these days, and in terms of free software, it's on par or better than OSX / Windows.

If you need anything more than the most basic of formatting options you're pretty much screwed on Ubuntu. My parents are by no means power users but even they ran into the limitations of LibreOffice pretty quickly. Especially Impress failed to impress miserably. They and myself use iWork now which does get the job done.

[threetonesun]

If you need anything more than the most basic of formatting options you're pretty much screwed on Ubuntu. My parents are by no means power users but even they ran into the limitations of LibreOffice pretty quickly. Especially Impress failed to impress miserably. They and myself use iWork now which does get the job done.

I'm not sure what you're point is. I find iWork to be incredibly frustrating for some of the formatting I do, but in the end it can spit out a reasonable approximation of what I want. Open Office is no different. I could do it in Google Docs if I wanted, and be able to run it on any platform. If there's really some intense formatting you want done, I'm pretty sure Ubuntu loads TeX by default.

If there's a specific feature you want, use the software that has it, and use the operating system that that software runs on. It's not rocket science. But unlike a few years ago, you could give someone Ubuntu and they'd be able to do everything they wanted. It's really only by comparison to OSX and Windows that it still seems to be "behind", although there are some features/programs that I prefer in Linux.

[.Neo]

I'm not sure what you're point is.

My point is that LibreOffice is extremely lacking in features which ruins the entire Linux experience for quite a few. Ubuntu has reached a point where it's actually usable for most, now it's time to focus more on the apps running on it. I'd say LibreOffice takes priority.

[tsupersonic]

It performs terrible on my netbook, to the point that it's unusable. So it gets a 3/10. This netbook runs Windows 7 perfect w/ Aero, so I see no reason it can't run Ubuntu.

[vron247]

Just OK for really basic stuff like browsing, dowloading and watching movies, checking emails. Installing simple software still takes long minutes. Doesn't seem to use full system capabilities tearing and getting stuck sometimes. As usual Libreoffice is just for show.

[Detection]

It performs terrible on my netbook, to the point that it's unusable. So it gets a 3/10. This netbook runs Windows 7 perfect w/ Aero, so I see no reason it can't run Ubuntu.

Similar on my laptop, 2GB / X2 2GHz, runs 7 and 8 fine, runs linuxmint fine, Ubuntu lags like a dog

[srbeen]

should you disable unity, there's not much of a difference since it was introduced aside from new kernel/driver/device support.

Either way its very well supported and usually little linux knowledge is needed to do day-to-day tasks.

[Mr. Dee]

I would say its much improved over past releases. Still it has nothing that will let me leave behind Windows 7, not to mention, customizing the interface is limited and networking is finicky. I also have a rich library of applications on Windows 7 I use and like better: Office 2010, Photoshop CS4, AutoCAD 2009 and I like Windows Live Essentials 2011 which do not have equivalent with the same quality on Ubuntu. There might be mediocre equivalents, but thats it, they are mediocre equivalents. I admire its effort to provide an alternative for those who want something different. It is not even about open source/freedom at this point, its more about choice. If you want an OS just for Internet and basic office productivity, it is likely option.

[Damien]

While I am quite satisfied with this release, I too believe some of the programs distributed with Ubuntu can use some polishing (Libre Office, Empathy, etc).

[ichi]

My point is that LibreOffice is extremely lacking in features which ruins the entire Linux experience for quite a few. Ubuntu has reached a point where it's actually usable for most, now it's time to focus more on the apps running on it. I'd say LibreOffice takes priority.

My only gripe with LibreOffice is that compatibility with MS Office documents is far from perfect. It might be good enough for certain use cases, but not when you use it to write documentation you'll latter handle to your customers.

Of course it probably also lacks several MS Office features, but I haven't missed anything I might have needed.

Then again, even though it'll be nice to have a native office suite I could use, running MS Office on Ubuntu gets the work done perfectly fine. I've been doing that for years.

[Miuku.]

I also have a rich library of applications on Windows 7 I use and like better: Office 2010, Photoshop CS4, AutoCAD 2009 and I like Windows Live Essentials 2011 which do not have equivalent with the same quality on Ubuntu.

The main difference would be those "mediocre" programs didn't come from a .torrent.

[TruckWEB]

The main difference would be those "mediocre" programs didn't come from a .torrent.

So, you decided that he stole the apps he is using? Is that the only reply you can do? Tells alot about you and about the quality of the apps found on Linux.

[.Neo]

My only gripe with LibreOffice is that compatibility with MS Office documents is far from perfect. It might be good enough for certain use cases, but not when you use it to write documentation you'll latter handle to your customers.

Of course it probably also lacks several MS Office features, but I haven't missed anything I might have needed.

Then again, even though it'll be nice to have a native office suite I could use, running MS Office on Ubuntu gets the work done perfectly fine. I've been doing that for years.

I don't see any point in installing an OS when I end up using apps from another one through some means of emulation/virtualization. Then I prefer running the OS they're actuall written for. Beyond that it's mainly LibreOffice's presentation software I find unusable. The options, available animations, transitions, special effect, themes etc. or better said the lack of these things just don't get the job done in a way I'd like to present to customers and fellow colleagues. The software comes across as if it walked away from the mid 90s. Same goes for the formatting options in Writer and with no suitable InDesign substitute available the Linux adventure pretty much ends there for me.

Shame really.

[ichi]

I don't see any point in installing an OS when I end up using apps from another one through some means of emulation/virtualization. Then I prefer running the OS they're actuall written for.

If my job was all about using Office all day I might probably be using Windows there, but it isn't.

On the other hand if I used Windows at work (and not even getting into how much I dislike it's window management) I'd have to use stuff like cygwin or reflection, which sucks a lot more than a random use of MS Office on Linux.

[Miuku.]

Same goes for the formatting options in Writer and with no suitable InDesign substitute available the Linux adventure pretty much ends there for me.

For you maybe but for a lot of people it isn't really an issue. I installed AbiWord for my parents a few years back and to this date they still haven't missed any feature Word had.

I've observed people use Office since the late 90s and in fact I rarely ever see people use anything except the most basic features (and this used to be in a company with tens of thousands of users - you can guess which one it was here in Fin).

You might run into issues with specialized software like InDesign or Photoshop but when it comes to your average office work, Linux has been a perfectly working solution for a while now. All it needs is a few competent system admins to build the basis and bang, it'll work till the end of days without issues.

[b10h4z4rd]

9 for what I use it for. I haven't had any major issues installing it over PXE and it seems to run better/smoother than 11.10 did. Debating whether to update my PXE/storage server and inventory server, not wanting to bork anything.

[.Neo]

the Linux adventure pretty much ends there for me.

For you maybe [?]

That's what I said?

If my job was all about using Office all day I might probably be using Windows there, but it isn't.

On the other hand if I used Windows at work (and not even getting into how much I dislike it's window management) I'd have to use stuff like cygwin or reflection, which sucks a lot more than a random use of MS Office on Linux.

I just hate software that doesn't integrate with the OS it runs on. :p

[ichi]

I just hate software that doesn't integrate with the OS it runs on. :p

See, so do I, and that's why I'm running Linux.

Everything I use at home is Linux native*, and at work I have to make compromises: either I run MS Office on Linux once every month or so, or I do the actual bulk of my work using Windows apps that emulate native features of my Linux desktop.

Since I also feel a lot more comfortable on Linux than I do on Windows, the choice is obvious.

*Actually I have an old laptop around running Windows, which I use only to record my guitar. AFAIK there are no Linux drivers for the POD X3, and then (although I haven't really looked into it since the POD issue is a roadblock) there probably also aren't audio apps as polished as Nuendo or Cubase.

[x-scratch]

I rated it a 9. It's pretty damn good. And now that steam and its games catalogue are coming to Linux, I firmly believe GNU/Linux is on the up :)

says who ???

[PixilEyes]

Crippled my HP Laserjet's at work. :/

See's the printers fine. But nothing prints. Happens on multiple printers and machines. Le'Sigh.