Ubuntu

About two years ago was my first real exposure to Ubuntu. In college I used a lot of Linux (Red Hat as I remember), so I'm no stranger to Linux. But this was the first time I used Ubuntu.

Even though Ubuntu has become real big as of late, it's still in its infancy. Over the past year I've gotten to watch Ubuntu evolve at a pretty fast pace. For example, less than 1 year ago Ubuntu setup was an awkward but functional text-based setup. Now it's a slick GUI setup.

One of the things that has really stood out to me is how much Ubuntu seems to mimic Windows. The Ubuntu release that corresponded with Windows 7 (Ubuntu 9.10) made UI changes very similar to those in Windows 7. It truly feels to me like Ubuntu is playing catch-up and trying to copy Windows. This can be both good and bad. On the one hand it makes switching from Windows to Ubuntu easier, users do not have to relearn the fundamentals of a new OS. But at the same time, these users are leaving Windows for a reason and for Ubuntu to copy Windows almost defeats the purpose of leaving.

Don't get me wrong, Ubuntu is cool and fun. I just wish they would find their own path instead of following Microsoft's path and making every change (and every mistake) that Microsoft makes.