One of the most appealing things about Open Source software is the ability to always have the latest version installed. A few days ago Canonical released the latest version of Ubuntu, 13.04 dubbed Raring Ringtail.
For me some software updates appeared via the Software Updater. Once they were installed a message popped up to say that Ubuntu was up to date, but that there was a new version available. Upgrading was just a few clicks away.
The whole process takes a while to firstly download and then install, but it was all rather painless and didn’t cost a penny.
Here is a quick look at some of the changes.
With 13.04 some of the icons in the Launcher have changed. Namely…
The old Workspace Switcher has been removed from the Launcher by default. You can re-enable it in the Appearance>Behaviour settings though.
Similarly, some of the icons have changed when you explore your files.
While the Ubuntu One Launcher icon has not changed, there is now a little icon in the menu bar (shaped like a cloud), which allows you to access a menu of items you might need to access quickly, without launching the full client.
Another cosmetic change is revealed when you go to shut down your machine.
This change if anything points to Ubuntu’s future with touch enabled devices. The buttons are big and bold and easy to click on. Just right for a finger, even one of mine!
Other than the cosmetic changes, there are several performance enhancements and other changes designed to make life easier. You can read a full list in the Raring Ringtail release notes.
I am glad that with Raring Ringtail, Ubuntu is finally recognizing the old graphics card I have installed, enabling me to choose the correct nVidia driver for it. The computer’s performance was noticeably better after that!