The Unity Interface at a Glance
The Ubuntu developers has made Unity a Perfect User Interface for Desktop as well as Netbook users. Unity is now the default Desktop environment so all Ubuntu users are going to experience something brand-new, totally different. Unity Environment provides users a very nice interface to work with. It has been designed to be simple, fast, and stable. So, are you ready for Unity ? Lets have a quick look -
The Unity Launcher
The Unity launcher on the left side of the screen here is provided to have quick access to almost every systemresource in Ubuntu. Now you no more be going to serach out for everything. Ubuntu and its resources are now just 1 click away from you. Here are a few features of this launcher -
- Drag n Drop features for Applications etc.
- Items can be easily rearranged.
- Launcher activation through keyboard shortcuts made it faster.
- Right-click context menu quick-lists for easy control.
- Switching between running applications is fun to do.
Unity Dash
The Applications, Places, and System menus of Ubuntu versions past have been replaced with the Unity dash. It basically works as ‘MS Windows’ Start-menu. It has been designed to make things easier and quicker.
Everything has been put just 1 click away. Users are required to just got Dash and start working on whatever they want.
- The Main Dash gives you access to basic system resources.
- Search features lets you find any program or file or directory inside Ubuntu within seconds.
- Folder view gives you access to your home directory on the go.
- Applications are all featured and organized in 3 main categories – Most used, Installed ones and Featured.
- There is a full Lens implementation for applications and files now, in addition to the “Dash” start screen (which will come up when clicking on the Ubuntu logo on the top-left of the screen) for the most common actions, such as searching. Also, icons can be dragged and dropped from Dash to the Unity Launcher.
So, Unity Dash is the way to go.
Desktop Workspaces
Another cool feature and more of an eyecandy and a show-off is Workspace switcher. All the Unity Workspaces can be arranged in 3D easily and anything on a different workspace can be accessed mere by double clicking the desktop. This feature requires 3D effects enabled in your system.
3D Effects with Compiz
Compiz has been installed by default and has provided Unity with the elegance and shine it is having now. There is a lot more to than just basic effects. Compiz cubes are not available by default but there is an easy fix for that.
We will talk about that later. Slick switcher, and Shift switcher in Compiz make things more classy. What you need to do is to browse to CCSM and configure them to work according to your requirement. There are many other effects to play with. We leave you and Compiz alone. Play on !
Universal Notifications
Notifications have been updated. A Universal Notifier has been added to Unity that notifies if anything on the desktop need user-attention. This blue-triangular-curve comes on the top right corner of the screen everytime you have any notification from any running application.
Top Panels
The Ubuntu Panel on the top contains Global menu and other applets. The Unity Top panel includes -
- Redesigned indicator area.
- New sound menu, session menu, and clock.
- System settings in menu.
- Window controls in the panel for maximized applications.
Overlay Scrollbars
The Radiance and Ambiance themes have been updated slightly to add sugar to taste. Overlay scroll-bars are the next best thing happened to Unity. They make it 3D and keep it like that until you are done.
Application SuperMarket
Ubuntu Software Center now contains more that 35,000 Applications which are just 1 click away. It also shows Featured applications that you might need for day to day usage. Application ratings have been added. Even you can buy software from here if you want to. So the Ubuntu Software Center is like an Application Supermarket.
Basic Applications & Feature Updates
Besides Unity, this release has gone through some serious development is past 6 months in matters of features & applications as well. There are many new things to be happy about like Firefox 4.0 that has broke all records and has set up a new one, Libreoffice Suite that just won a fight for the opensource community against Oracle who were commercializing Openoffice has now left the project for opensource development only, Python 2.7 – the newer, the better, the Latest Linux kernel 2.6.38 that does wonders. So lets have a look at them -
- Linux kernel 2.6.38 is the base of this release.
- Mozilla Firefox 4.0 is the default browser.
- Banshee 2.0 is the default Media player.
- Libreoffice 3.3.2 is serving as Ubuntu’s Office suite.
- Unity is the new Desktop environment.
- Python got to version 2.7.
- Shotwell 1.9.1 is the Photo Manager for Natty.
- Evolution 2.32.2 is the default mail client.
Download Link
Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal –
- 32 bit – Direct link / Torrent
- 64 bit – Direct link / Torrent
Kubuntu 11.04 with KDE 4.6 -
- 32 bit – Direct link / Torrent
- 64 bit – Direct link / Torrent
http://www.linoob.com/2011/04/installing-ubuntu-11-04-and-testing-unity/
