20

This question is not deleted because it has historical significance, but it is not considered a good, on-topic question for this site, so please do not use it as evidence that you can ask similar questions here.

More information: https://askubuntu.com/faq

The title says for itself.
There are a lot of interesting new features in Ubuntu. For example, after migrating into Ubuntu the most interesting feature for me was Centralized application installation via Synaptic (users do not need to search for an application, download it from somewhere, install it, and if it is pirated software to search keygens and stuffs like that).
What else could be added to the list?

Community
  • 1
Bakhtiyor
  • 12,804

20 Answers20

29

Personally:

It's free.

Way faster on my machine than Windows ever was.

Finding, installing and most importantly uninstalling software, is so much easier.

No pesky pre-installed trial software.

I don't have to worry about viruses.

I know that if I had the knowhow I could do pretty much anything I wanted.

Also, it looks pretty.

Helix
  • 2,403
20

apt-get is by far the most amazing thing I have found since I moved to ubuntu.

And the following are a few more things which are must have:

  • Gnome - Do
  • GVim (this is also available on windows btw)
  • Banshee
Khaja Minhajuddin
  • 1,320
12

From an user perspective I would recommend Ubuntu because of:

  • Support for old hardware (old printers, scanners, whatever), although old video cards can be a PITA
  • Centralized Package Management (easier program install, upgrades, and security fixes)
  • Faster install (much much faster than Windows)
  • Faster startup
  • No bloat ware, no system tray madness (this contributes a lot to startup time in Windows)
  • More security
paulo.albuquerque
  • 1,876
11

Defintely playing with Compiz effects, especially the Compiz Cube.

Weboide
  • 10,783
9

The feeling of controlling my OS, and not my OS controlling me.

Update 6 years later:
I've been using a Mac the last year due to work, and it's a great machine. But I'm temporarily using my old ThinkPad X201 running Linux and I'm like a happy child again. The feeling of freedom is back. I've rediscovered the Free and Open Source Software world, if only temporary.

Dennis
  • 413
9

When doing a fresh install, most users are also attracted by the fact that (almost) everything works out of the box, whereas on Windows you have to spend dozens of hours trying to figure out which drivers you need, where to get them and to install them.

thbusch
  • 219
8

Ubuntu doesn't require restarting it after installing new applications.

Bakhtiyor
  • 12,804
6

As someone who uses a lot of virtual machines for the development and testing of our own bespoke software, the biggest thing for me was the lack of 'activation'. I can create a new VM, install Ubuntu and start using it. No messing around with keys and no worries about activation.

It just makes the whole develop/test/deploy cycle a bit less painful. :-)

robsoft
  • 217
5

A few days using applications that they use in Windows: Firefox, Chrome, Thunderbird, OpenOffice, Songbird, Skype. Thats why I advise to users before migrate into Linux, use as many as possible cross-platform applications in Windows.

yevhene
  • 1,546
5

I like the Ubuntu Software Center. Compiz. And of course how much I spent for buying Ubuntu $0.00

User
  • 4,566
4

I love having multiple desktops, and being able to access them with a hotkey.

Erigami
  • 4,536
4

One of the first features that struck me was the short installation time when compared with Windows.

ssanj
  • 4,411
4

UI, especially since 10.04. THey like its smoothness & unobtrusive fashion. Even left handed window controls are accepted.

Pierre-Yves Gillier
  • 656
4

If they're coming from an several year old installation of Windows, they're excited to say goodbye to the sluggishness and have a responsive desktop.

crenshaw-dev
  • 32,852
4

Personally I like the power to customize pretty much everything.

  • Panels (or Task bars)
  • Choosing between Graphical Environments (KDE,GNOME)
  • Wallpapers, Splash Screen, Login screen
  • and many more that I'm forgetting right now

And the best of all is that is simple, and free.

3

A few things off the top of my head:

  1. After running XP & Windows 7, my six year old Sempron box is suddenly a fast system again.

  2. I love having Unix command line tools available. In Windows, I was always mucking about with GnuWin32 or Cygwin. But they never seemed to really fit in.

  3. "Hmmm, I think I want to start learning Scala". A simple apt-get and I'm off. Being able to install anything I need without having to track down the most recent download or worrying about viruses is priceless.

Ferruccio
  • 111
3

At work, we moved some people from Windows machines to Ubuntu. The praise that I heard most is that Ubuntu is fast. Yes, there are usually a couple of woes too.

Javier Rivera
  • 35,434
3

In my experience it's a combination of:

  1. Software Center -- "You mean all this is free?"
  2. The fact that it isn't infected with malware. Many users are migrated when they come to me for help after catching some nasty virus and malware that requires a whole reinstall
  3. The community. People actually feel like it's easier to get help with Ubuntu than Windows.

In many cases their old applications work fine using Wine, so they often have little to complain about.

Scott Ritchie
  • 4,351
2
  • A stable OS
  • An awesome terminal / console
  • Access to lots of great open source software
  • An os more akin to our development servers to deploy websites
chrisl-921fb74d
  • 11,136
1

No more weekly checks if all installed software is up-to-date, downloading the latest updates and manually installing all the stuff. I have so much more spare time now to do other things than staring at those installation programs!

Bananeweizen
  • 918