Elementary OS
Despite being a
derivative of Ubuntu, Elementary has little in common with its source. Apart
from using Ubuntu's backend, almost every other component of the distro is
home-grown. Elementary OS features a custom application launcher, file manager,
desktop environment, icons, themes and more.
The distro also places a
great emphasis on design and as a result offers a curious choice of default
software packages. It draws inspiration from Apple products and features
several custom apps. Its Apple fixation is evident from tools like Snap, a
webcam application similar to Apple's Photo Booth. Other custom tools include
Geary Mail, Scratch text editor, Audience video player, Gala window manager,
and there are many more. Some of these tools, like Audience and Snap, will
debut with the next release, Freya.
The distro is
lightweight and blazingly fast. It doesn't offer many apps out of the box and
doesn't include codecs for proprietary media formats. This means that you can't
play MP3 files, videos, or even YouTube videos out of the box, but you can
leverage its Ubuntu lineage and access thousands of additional packages and
multimedia codecs using the software centre.
Elementary OS doesn't
ship any non-GTK+ apps which is why it doesn't feature mainstream apps like
LibreOffice, Firefox, etc.
While the distro is free
to download, users can make donations to the project.
Verdict: A perfect distro for users disillusioned with their proprietary
OS and looking for an eye-pleasing alternative.
Rating: 9/10
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