A List of New Changes and Features in Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx

Ubuntu 10.04 is being released on April 29, 2010, and will be the best version yet of the popular Linux distro. Eagerly anticipated, this new launch will host some new features and changes never seen in Ubuntu, and will push the distro a step closer to being a powerhouse distro for the average computer user. Whether you're new to Linux, Ubuntu, or you're a seasoned user looking for a simple list of changes, this article is for you.

1. New Look

Canonical is finally ditching the bland (and arguably ugly) orange and brown theme for an all new background, logo, and color scheme. The splash screen for Ubuntu 10.04 is an all-new professional-yet-modern purple background with the work UBUNTU splayed in the middle using a new font.

The human theme icons will still be present in the Lucid Lynx, but the theme itself is being replaced with a newer, sleeker theme called Ambiance, and another called Radiance, both of which are light themes, something Canonical has embraced. In addition to the light themes, a dark version will also be made available for those who like to toggle based on their current background image.

2. Faster Boot Speed

This feature has been wanted, anticipated, and tossed around for awhile now, but will finally come to light in 10.04 with a reported boot speed of 10 seconds-a speed that puts just about every other operating system to shame. Though actual boot speed will depend on the user's system and hardware, you can expect a faster startup than Hardy and Jaunty.

3. Me Menu

The Me Menu is a drop-down menu for the logged in user to pull up a variety of social networking accounts and take a peek about what is going on, and all of this is accomplished via the awesome application Gwibber. Instead of toggling between Twitter, Facebook, and chat windows, you can pull up the account you want by clicking for the menu from under your user name on the upper panel.

4. Ubuntu One Music Store

Canonical has partnered with music distributor 7digital to offer Ubuntu uses the ability to purchase and download DRM-free music straight to their computer. The audio will be in high quality 256kbps mp3 files with the occasional WMA, OGG, and FLAC also tossed in. The default player/host for the Music Store will be RhythmBox, but plugins will also be available for Banshee, AmaroK, and a few other music players.