Ubuntu 10.10 Maverick Meerkat Netbook Edition Release Candidate

Here are my findings after installing the release candidate of Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition as outlined in this post.

Network Manager has been given an overhaul and is now more like the signal strength meter of a cell phone when using Wireless and Mobile Broadband (don't know what it looks like when using a wired Network Connection, the Volume control has lost its cool visual appeal but that could be due to it only being a release candidate at the moment. The clock has had a major overhaul and now contains a drop down calendar when you left click on it.

The Ubuntu Menu has had an overhaul compared to the beta version that I installed in Lucid Lynx. it now has a more visual front page that takes you to the full menu if the option you click on contains more than one program.  The full Ubuntu menu is reached by clicking on the Applications option on the Launcher.

You are now no longer restricted to the Unity desktop when you install the Netbook Edition of Maverick Meerkat as you also have the option to login to the full Desktop Edition from the login screen compared to Lucid Lynx that was restricted to the Moblin Desktop unless you had installed another Desktop.

You Ideally need an always on Broadband connection that you can connect to by a wired modem, wired modem with wireless router if you have Cable Internet or a combined wireless modem router, 2.5GB of free HDD space and be plugged into the mains via your charger, you have the option to download updates and 3rd party applications during the install ( I declined these options as I'm going to upgrade to the official release once it comes out on Sunday).  The instal takes slightly longer than with Lucid Lynx but it is nowhere as near as long as  OpenSuse 11.3 or Windows.

Roland

The New Unity Desktop Beta vs The Moblin Desktop in Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition

When you Install the Unity Desktop Beta onto a Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition system it Installs side by side with the default Moblin Desktop and you select which one that you want to login to on the login screen, The 10.04 Netbook Desktop is the default one though.

Once the Unity Desktop is loaded up it looks similar to the default Netbook Desktop with the Panel on the top of the screen showing the Left to Right: Ubuntu Menu, Network Manager, Battery Indicator, Sound preference, Mail and Broadcast Message, Time, Social Networking Menu and Session Menu.

When you click on the Ubuntu Menu you now get a drop down menu with Search feature instead of the show Desktop action in the old Desktop.

The Side Bar/Desktop has been cleaned up significantly since 10.04.  Instead of having a tabbed Desktop you have a sliding side bar that houses your favourite programs, Trash can and quick access to the Programs and Files and folders.  There is also access to a Mac OSX feature that shows all your open windows as thumbnails.

As this is only a Beta version of the Unity Desktop and running on top of Ubuntu 10.04LTS Lucid Lynx and no 10.10 Maverick Meerkat it doesn't have all the updates that 10.10 will contain.  If I can get hold of a disk Image of the Pre Release version of 10.10 Netbook Edition I'll download it and give it a try.  In the meantime here is a rundown of all the new features of the different Editions of Ubuntu 10.10.

For more on the Unity Desktop please visit this Blog.

Roland

My move from OpenSuse 11.3 to Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition Part 1

Installing Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition

After reading about the impending release of Ubuntu 10.10 on the Ubuntu website and after some Googling to find out what the new features are going to be in the Netbook Edition of Ubuntu 10.10, and finding out that it will have a new Unity Desktop instead of the old Moblin desktop that was in Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition I thought that I would ditch OpenSuse 11.3 for Ubuntu 10.04 Netbook Edition and update to Ubuntu 10.10 Netbook Edition when it is released on Sunday.  I'm currently Installing the Beta of the Unity Desktop on to my running 10.04 Netbook Edition.  I'll add a post about Unity when I've taken it for a test drive.

I'll add part 2 of this two part post on Sunday when I get 10.04 Netbook Edition updated ot 10.10 Netbook Edition.

Roland