I just did a fresh install of Ubuntu on my netbook, and I'm impressed. Things that didn't work before in previous releases (like the camera which I used to have to configure, or skype sound which I had to go through several opaque sounding options before I guessed the right one) JUST WORKED.
Yes, there are a few green technologies, as the author points out, but I'm very happy to see this level of innovation, especially in the "social from the start" space. They're not just innovating, they're leading the pack.
I've done both a fresh install and an upgrade to 10.04 and both worked without a hitch. I'm impressed.
Ubuntu is a massive piece of software components that have to work properly on all kinds of random hardware. The release schedule that they've committed to (one major every six months) is really hard and I'm also impressed that they're sticking to it. Every release seems to replace large components with newer versions or even new codebases. The GUI changes with almost every release, but not so much that it's unrecognizable from the last release.
Of course there are bugs. There are always bugs. But you know what they say about software - you can have it secure, on time or of good quality, just pick two. They seem to have found a decent balance and keep pushing to deliver a modern OS. Kudos.
I keep seeing this idea that Linux upgrades shouldn't break old functionality, particularly in Long Term Support releases. That's two separate fallacies interacting.
1. A Linux upgrade is not like someone redecorating a few rooms, or adding a new wing to your house. It's more like that extreme makeover show where they bulldoze the entire house and rebuild it from scratch. In exchange for fixing your foundations, replacing lead pipes, and fitting a high efficiency heating system you have to put up with the fact that hat rack no longer accommodates your ten gallon hat and that handy light-switch in the bathroom has been moved outside because it is no longer up to code.
If you don't want to take this tradeoff then you have the option to not upgrade, certainly not on the day of release.
2. A Long Term Support release of Ubuntu is supported for 3 years on the desktop (5 on server). This means it needs to balance stability with the fact that it's not going to be changed for several years. This means doing things like putting a newer version of Firefox as going with the 2.0 line would have been soon out of date.
Combining these and expecting a LTS to be more likely to support old hardware flawlessly is the wrong conclusion. People seem to understand that the introduction of Vista or Mac OS X Snow Leopard will obsolete certain lines of older hardware. Don't hold Linux to a higher standard because they actually make a effort to support old hardware with the new code.
I updated my VMware install of Ubuntu to 10.04 and now no keyboard input is recognized. I looked around and there are fixes, but this sort of thing ruins the whole experience from the start. I know that VMware probably doesn't officially support 10.04 yet, but 10.04 is supposed to be a stable release of a major distro. I want to love Linux but it never seems to get to the "it just works" level.
I just upgraded my VMware Ubuntu instance which hosts neosmart.net to 10.04 - no problems thus far, in fact, I'd gander and say it's smoother than before...
The bugs in 10.04 are annoying, but it's a beta.
It's driving me up the wall though, I wish I had not upgraded but I'm just on the edge about whether I reinstall or no.
Yes, there are a few green technologies, as the author points out, but I'm very happy to see this level of innovation, especially in the "social from the start" space. They're not just innovating, they're leading the pack.
Very positive experience so far.