OSNews had a link to this great review of the new beta from Ubuntu. The new version of the stunning Linux OS is still slated for an April release date. The review comes from the Only Ubuntu Linux blog and includes some screenshots. Below is their list of new features for Feisty:
New features in Feisty Fawn
Migration assistant: The new migration tool recognises Internet Explorer bookmarks, Firefox favourites, desktop wallpaper, AOL IM contacts, and Yahoo IM contacts, and imports them into Ubuntu during installation. This offers easier and faster migration for new users of Ubuntu and individuals wanting to run a dual-boot system.
Easy-to-install codec wizards: A new guided wizard for installing codecs not shipped with Ubuntu gives users a safe way of installing codecs they can legally use to view multimedia content.
Plug and play network sharing with Avahi: This new feature allows users to automatically discover and join a wireless network and share music, find printers and more.
Kernel Virtual Machine: On x86 systems with the Intel VT or AMD-V extensions, Kernel-based Virtual Machine support (KVM) allows users to run multiple virtual machines running unmodified Linux. Each virtual machine has private virtualised hardware: a network card, disk, graphics adapter, and so on. We have also added VMI support, which provides optimised performance under VMWare.
Faster searching with Tracker: Tracker is a search tool much like Beagle. Both programs will be available in the repositories.
Networking Improvements: New in Feisty is Network Manager, a simple way to find and connect to wireless and wired networks.New Zeroconf support makes it easy to network desktop computers without needing servers to assign IP addresses or names.
Artwork:For Feisty all new artwork is trickling in, including a new background image, and a usplash image that has more ‘bling’.
Help Center:In order to make Help more accessible, a brand new Help Center with a easier to use interface that is more stylish.
Print and sound support: Jetpipe, a new printing architecture for thin clients, greatly improves on previous technologies.Sound support in applications is also dramatically improved with the PulseAudio sound server.
Thin client management: Administrators can now manage thin client connections to a server more easily.
VPN: Easy VPN access with NetworkManager.
New Gnome control center
Desktop Effects: Graphical Desktop Effects will be made extremely accessible, with one click activation in the system menu.
I run Ubuntu dualboot with WinXP. It’s too bad that Dreamweaver and Photoshop doesn’t work (good) with Wine yet.