Our opinion and description of ubuntu
Ubuntu is a comprehensive, stable, secure and intuitive system, and free to top it all! It tends to grow in popularity over the years and some manufacturers like Dell sell computers with Ubuntu pre-installed.
Some additional details:
Target Audience
In our opinion, Ubuntu is great for people wanting a simple and hassle-free system for routine tasks to technical experts eager to do everything and it can also match many other types of users provided that a software that can meet their needs exist for Ubuntu. Having the unique distinction of being both free and able to run on any computer, ubuntu is truly accessible to everybody.
Interface
The working interface of ubuntu is very neat and pleasant to use. Like
Mac and the latest version of
Windows, Ubuntu uses a dock, that is a great bar where your applications are very easy to access and use. Everything is organized so that each program has the most space. The look and the menus are coherent and consistent, making it easy to use and searching for files or applications is greatly facilitated by the search bar, all of this make it particularly pleasant to use.
Compatibility
A strong point of Ubuntu is certainly that it can be installed on any computer, which is quite magical. The compatibility of ubuntu with the hardware (webcam, ipods, etc.) is often controversial because, as this is a brand new, very few manufacturers show if their products are compatible. What must be understood that is absolutely unique to the Ubuntu world is that most of the time ubuntu takes care of itself to make equipment from other manufacturers compatible with himself. So we are usually surprised to see any device instantly run on Ubuntu as you can also have the disappointment of falling on incompatible hardware if you do not check on Internet if other users are already using the same equipment first. This contrasts with
Windows where you almost always go through a complicated process to install a new device but don't almost not thinking about compatibility as there is little chance that a part can be incompatible.
Software
Another unique aspect of Ubuntu is that all software are installed and updated through the Software Center, an extensive library of softwares available with one click. All updates are done at the same time and in the same place, you're not solicited any time of day for an update. The included software is enough to navigate the web, communicate with email, msn, twitter, work with documents, maintain a library of photos or music, use an iPod, burn discs and more. The simplicity and flexibility of applications already included is very nice. It should be noted that while
Windows requires to buy Microsoft Word and install many software, Ubuntu is almost complete in itself to use from the start and can open virtually any file type and is compatible with many technologies. It's worth mentioning that if Ubuntu has good softwares, there are also popular Windows software that are not available for Ubuntu, it is most probably related to the monopoly position occupied by the Windows market. Examples include Adobe Photoshop, even though Ubuntu has GIMP, an fairly good equivalence.
Security
If a system deserves the trophy of security, it's ubuntu. Each competition of organized piracy in recent years has seen Windows or
Mac succumb to attacks while Ubuntu stood firm. This as a lot to do with Linux on which Ubuntu is built and which has a long reputation in this field. In addition, software management is centralized in the repository that is fully checked and controlled, coupled with administrative rights entrenched in the system since its creation, the main vectors of viruses on
Windows (executable files) will probably never find equivalence on Ubuntu. And all that without anti-virus!
Performance
The startup performance of ubuntu is above
Windows and below
Mac, very good overall. Ubuntu works very well with a computer with little memory (512 Mb) and low processor, at the exception of certain software that are strangely inefficient like the Software Center. It is also worth noting that like Mac, the performance does not reduce over time as opposed to Windows where it regress and can be quite unstable. In short, Ubuntu is not a leader but its still pretty good overall.