Ubuntu 11.04 - Natty Narwhal Review

The naming of Ubuntu 11.04 was announced on 17 August 2010 by Mark Shuttleworth. Its release is planned for 28 April 2011. Ubuntu Desktop will use the Unity user interface instead of GNOME Shell as default. The move to Unity is controversial as some GNOME developers fear it will fracture the community and marginalize GNOME Shell.

Ubuntu 11.04 will use Banshee as the default music player, replacing Rhythmbox. Other new applications will include Mozilla Firefox 4 and LibreOffice, which has replaced OpenOffice.org.

Starting with Ubuntu 11.04 the Ubuntu Netbook Edition has been merged into the desktop edition.

There has been many changes in the Default application selection in the upcoming Ubuntu 11.04 Natty Narwhal from Ubuntu 10.10. Here’s some new features:

- Unity as been confirmed as default for Ubuntu 11.04 – desktop edition, the desktop version will use the global menu (AppMenu).

- LibreOffice will likely be included in next version of Ubuntu if it’s ready

- Firefox 4 is still favored over Chrome as the default browser in Ubuntu. Chrome still poses too many challenges for Ubuntu (the release cycle doesn’t fit well with Ubuntu Update model and also there are issues with the Global Menu integrations and so on).

- The decision to replace Evolution with Thunderbird in Ubuntu has been deferred. Hopefully Thunderbird will be ready in a cycle or two (it misses a calendar, exchange support, integration with appmenu and messaging menu).

- Banshee will be included by default in Ubuntu 11.04 (and thus replace Rhythmbox)

- Oneconf will be included by default in Ubuntu 11.04. OneConf is a mechanism for recording software information in Ubuntu One, and synchronizing with other computers as needed.

- Gnome-dictionary will be removed from the CD

- Nautilus Elementary was also brought up for discussion, but was rejected “because the patches are considered hacks”.

- In Natty Narwhal Software Center “For Purchase” category will be updated with more commercial software. And you will be able to sponsor your favorite app by donating any money amount to developers.