Ubuntu Light is an alternative OS designed to sit on a separate partition to a PC's Windows operating system. With a look and feel that'll be familiar to users of Ubuntu Netbook Remix – whose Unity interface has now been rolled out across all versions of Ubuntu – it's neither full featured nor powerful. But it is fast.
So fast, in fact, that there's no real comparison with the Windows start-up time on the same AMD Athlon II-powered Dell Inspiron M101z laptop with 4GB RAM.
This took two to three minutes to boot and surf to a web page with Windows 7 Home Premium. Canonical says users with hard-disk drives in their systems should expect 20 seconds boot time. On our Dell with its stock Seagate Momentus 320GB hard disk? Eight seconds.
Ubuntu Light is intended only as a quick-launch alternative to Windows, for some of the basic tasks we require on a laptop: instant messaging (IM), internet browsing, browsing music, video and pictures, as well as social networking.
In fact, all the non-work-related tasks you might use a notebook PC for - except email.
You can access Windows media files from within Ubuntu Light, so there are no issues with partition space. Ubuntu Light itself takes up less than 1GB on the hard disk, of a 4G partition reserved by the OEM when setting up the laptop.
Ubuntu's Unity interface has been criticised by long-time Linux users for its simplicity: but that misses the point here at least. Ubuntu Light exists only to be simple, and fast. As such, it may be better to think of it as more like smartphone or tablet skin, and less 'Linux OS’.
Instead of Firefox, you get the Chromium web browser (Chrome, in essence), and an IM client that allows you to chat via Google Talk, AIM, Yahoo, Windows Live and Facebook.
There's a media player, Skype beta, and links direct into Yahoo Answers and Facebook. There are no native social apps, however, just web links.
And why no email app? It's difficult to work out. A quick launch into web and email is all many computing sessions entail. You can use webmail, of course, but you can't install Thunderbird or any another email client. If it's real email you want, you have to boot into Windows.
A handy Windows logo on the bottom left of the Unity interface lets you leave Ubuntu easily and wait for the full Windows boot; but you can't make the return journey back to Linux without restarting the machine (despite a confusing Ubuntu Light logo in the Windows start menu).
Comments
Kilian Klaiber said: I agree that more software options under linux would be great But for standard uses very good apps are available for free More apps are coming to linux via the clowd in particular the google web storeBut I disagree about wine Lots of programs run under wine I am running abby fine reader patbot Revo-uninstaller under wine I used to run my office XP under wine and it worked fine Sure you are not guaranteed that apps work but lots of them work fine Wintricks and playonlinux makes installing windows programs on linux using wine very easySo no wine is a real option and if you want support for wine you can get it
Kilian Klaiber said: If you need to use Virtual Box VMware etc then you might aswell install windows then why would you use linux really Better safety speed usability stability supportsThere are many reasons for not using windows full timeIve switched my parents to ubuntu They use firefox and thunderbird - they had been using these programs on windows before They use libre-office writer for writing letters They are very happy indeed because thats all they needOpening ms office files is no problem at all The content of the word documents is always displayed correctly so you can read letters sent to you If you want to create something fancy and fear that the formatting is affected then one-click-transform the document into a pdf-fileIf you want to collaborate with people when creating an office documents then use Office live - a clowd application from microsoft that is guaranteed to be compatible with ms-office Or use google-docs
Skerminkel said: I use Outlook for work on a Win machine but for all my personal stuff nothing beats webmail gmail UL is therefore perfect
Guest said: If you need to use Virtual Box VMware etc then you might aswell install windows then why would you use linux really Heres a game from the top of my head that dont work on winegears of war pc version its been out for a long time but nothingWhy use Microsoft Office well thats simple because its the industry standardWhen opening these files in open office and saving it creates problemsYou have to look from the average pc user view they want to just pop in cds and have them work I dont hate linux infact if startd a company which ive idea for in my head then i would chose linux because its freeIve asked average pc users before what os they use and they reply dont know then ask which version of windows they use and they still dont know So linux would be over their headHere in the uk windows is the choice of OS
Richard said: google-265ae62f2045cb7767962612dcfd0a6edisqus why would anyone want to use Microsoft Office on a Linux system LibreOffice Open Office is IMHO a better program and it is freeI have been able to get new games to run under WINE For programs that dont work there are programs like Virtual Box VMware etc that create a virtual operating within Linux
Steakey said: Ubuntus Unity interface has been criticised by long-time Linux users for its simplicityErm not quite More like badly thought out and unintuitive
Guest said: when will linux stop working on distros and start working on creating better software to keep up with windows and macNo gamessoftware or even hardware sold for linux but yet mostly all softwaregames now comes in windows and mac versions Yep thats right macs are reciving mostly the same software and games such as portal 2 as windowsLinux dont even have a say in this not even microsoft office has been ported yet and mac had it years agoWine is not a emulator which should be more like wine is no excusePrograms dont even work in wine much many dont work or have black screens etcCompanys like ubuntu should open their wallets and start paying cash to get their name out there Linux could be a great os but not untill it sorts of the main problemsLets face it the average pc user does not even know how to install programs so there is no need to say heres a command line plus its the year 2011 which you can buy anything and never need to look at a manual
Robert Maroon said: Did you try suspend to RAM and suspend to disk Because they are broken on the M101Z in regular distros