When you turn on your television, it’s hard to avoid those Mac vs. PC commercials. They’re clever, funny, and also misleading. Judging by those commercials, the average non-techie consumer would assume that those are the only two computing platforms available, which would be quite erroneous. Linux, the operating system that powers the Asus Eee PC and Everex CloudBook, comes in a variety of flavors, but the current face of the alternative OS is Ubuntu.

The latest iteration is Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron Beta (the final release is slated for April), which adds more functionality to the rather impressive Ubuntu 7.10, including smoother Compiz compatibility, Firefox 3 Beta, Tracker desktop search integration, the Brasero disk burner, Transmission BitTorrent client, Vinagre VNC software (which allows users to view multiple machines simultaneously), the PulseAudio sound server (for more flexible sound output), Xorg 7.3 (a screen-resolution utility that improves connections to projectors and second monitors), ufw firewall, and Rt2×00 wireless drivers. We upgraded our Ubuntu 7.10 distro that was installed on a Lenovo ThinkPad Z60m in just over two hours. Let’s break down some of the sexier additions.

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It is that time of year again: a new Ubuntu release is upon us. The beta version of Ubuntu 8.04 was released a few days ago, so I decided to give it a try and see what new features and improvements they have shoved into this one. As always, this is as much a preview of the latest GNOME release (2.22) as it is of Ubuntu itself. Read on for the preview.

You will be happy to find out that you no longer have to boot the entire live desktop before you can install Ubuntu. On the CD's GRUB menu, there is now an option called "Install Ubuntu", which will load the installer, but not the entire live desktop. Good effort, since I do not really use the live desktop anyway.

Full Preview: Ubuntu 8.04 Beta