For the last several years I was a huge fan of Fedora Linux. I like it for the versatility and freedom that it represents. During my time in using Fedora, I also loved how easy it was to use, upgrade and even update.
Recently, my netbook quit working on me. Basically, the file system crashed and was unrecoverable by any means that I am aware of. I believe this had to do with simply updating the operating system several times and the fact that the hard drive was moved from a different laptop to this netbook without a new install.
When trying to reinstall Fedora using a thumbdrive (no disc-drive on a netbook) I came up empty. First I tried using the LiveCD version of Fedora. It never booted up, I let it set for hours for it to only hang. Then I tried downloading the full Fedora install DVD ISO file and copied it to my thumbdrive. Failure again, after formatting the hard drive. It seemed that no matter what I did, the netbook was determined not to have Fedora anymore.
I downloaded and copied the Ubuntu LiveCD to my thumbdrive next. The ease of installment blew me away, not even Microsoft Windows is easier to get onto a computer. Ubuntu even went as far as to install the network card drivers for my netbook during the installation process. This allowed the latest updates to be installed on the computer as it went along.
This was also my first look at Unity, the new desktop environment used in Ubuntu. I have been a long-time fan of GNOME and had been using GNOME 3. Ubuntu reminds me a lot of GNOME 3, except that it uses the mouse a lot more. On my netbook, I was so accustomed to keyboard shortcuts that the mouse usage isn’t a big benefit to me. Ubuntu allowed me to easily install GNOME, then reboot and get back into my favorite DE without any problems.
Since downloading and installing Ubuntu, I have been playing with the new OS a lot. There are differences in package management, especially compared to Fedora. There are also a lot of similarities between the two OS’s. After all, both of them are Linux.
As I continue to use Ubuntu on this netbook I will be deciding what OS I will be using down the road on the majority of my systems. If you enjoy using your mouse more, Unity may be an answer for you with Ubuntu. If you are more like me and prefer keyboard shortcuts, stick with GNOME 3 on your favorite distro of choice.