Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot: Review

 

I used Ubuntu for the first time in my college (version 10.04) last year and the experience was although good but not breathtakingly different from Windows UI. It also had the same menu-style approach that windows has popularized over the years. Then, I downloaded the version 11.04 on my system at home which was the first to come with Unity UI. This approach was different and refreshing for a windows user and I liked it.

First of all, let me tell you something about Unity UI and then we'll talk about Oneiric Ocelot.

Unity is designed for mouse, touchpad, and keyboard use. It includes a new panel and application launcher that makes it fast and easy to access preferred applications, such as the browser, while removing screen elements that are rarely used. Unity has a vertical task management panel on the left-hand side and a menu panel at the top of the screen. Using a sidebar for task management conserves vertical screen space, which is much more valuable on today’s widescreen monitors. The task panel displays icons for commonly-used applications and programs that are currently running. Clicking on an icon will give the target application focus if it is already running or launch it if it is not already running. If you click the icon of an application that already has focus, Unity will activate an Expose-style view of all the open windows associated with that application.

Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric Ocelot builds upon the work that was started in Natty Narwhal regarding the Unity UI. Maybe, they want to make people use it so that they like it, before releasing it in LTS(Long Term Supported) release due in April 2012.

The changes in 11.10 from previous release are not ground breaking as was the case with 11.04. Instead, we have a few visual tweaks here and there to make the all round experience cohesive and consistent.

First of all, the Launcher has been changed a little. Now the button with Ubuntu logo that used to take you to the Dash is now integrated into the launcher, instead of sitting above it.

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The Dash is designed to make it easier to find, open and use applications files, and music. For example, if you type the word, "document" in to the Search Bar, the Dash will show you applications that help you write and edit documents. It will also show you relevant folders and documents that you have been working on recently. I found the music search especially very useful. Now I don't have to open my media player and search the library for the song that's buzzing in my head, instead I hit windows key( or the Ubuntu key) type in a part of the name of the song and click. It starts playing. As easy as it gets (other than placing the song files on desktop itself). This search mechanism also works with your documents in the "Documents" folder or at other places. The Dash also gives you shortcuts to often-used Internet, photo, email, and music applications. We have Lenses which aid the user to filter search results. The dash is strikingly beautiful and fun to use.

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Other than the Dash, the File Browser has also been changed a bit. It now supports tabbed browsing of files, in case you want to browse two different folders at the same time. The look has also been simplified a bit.

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The Ubuntu Software Centre has been redesigned completely is more visually appealing now. You get a tab at the top showing "All Software", "Installed" and "History". Categories for different softwares is on the left side, while at the centre we have the catalogue for new releases or top rated apps. The Ubuntu Software Centre is easy to use and useful as well.

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The default mail client is now Mozilla Thunderbird instead of "Evolution" before. This is a welcome change for many users as Thunderbird has earned itself quite a reputation in recent years and is probably the most used around the world.

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Oneiric Ocelot comes with Firefox 7.0 as the default web browser which is the latest one. Although other popular web browsers can be download from the Internet (I personally use Google Chrome).

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Now talking about Backup and restore functions, Ocelot is very useful. You can use the Deja Dup app to locally backup all your data or use Ubuntu One to use the free 5GB of cloud storage. Ubuntu One is especially hassle-free as you have to once set it up to choose what all folders you want to synchronise and the all that takes place in the background in real time or when a connection is available.

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At last, some words for the login screen too because it's the first thing you see when start your PC. The Login Screen has also been given a more modern look by moving the login window towards left and is beautiful as well with nice colours and textures.

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Ubuntu has really matured very well over these years and is now in a league of its own. It's design paradigm reminds one of Apple, as every thing is easy with the added goodies of being a Linux distro.

I really liked the Oneiric Ocelot, which like it's name is a dwarf wild cat in this world of Operating System beasts, but is still a force to reckon with.