Xubuntu 8.04

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Xubuntu Facts:
  • Xubuntu is a direct-derivative of Ubuntu, which means it gets the same support and attention Ubuntu is famous for.
  • Xubuntu comes with the Xfce desktop, which is based on the X environment; lighter on resources than Gnome or KDE.
  • As easy to use as Ubuntu
  • Long Term Support (LTS) for 3 years

What I liked:
  • Xubuntu has the same repositories (gathering of software packages) as Ubuntu so whatever you want that you know Ubuntu has, you can get for Xubuntu
  • Xubuntu is lighter on the resources, which is good if you don't have that much memory.
  • Xfce is similar to Gnome; anyone familiar with Gnome will transition easily to Xfce
  • Xubuntu is also committed to the same 6-month release schedule; therefore, when a new Ubuntu comes out, the derivative versions update as well.

What I didn't like:
  • The Xfce desktop is not for me. As a fan of Gnome, I found Xfce to be like a "stripped-down" version, which for some reason irked me.
  • I had some problems with Xfce functionality and stability. This may or may not be an issue for others
  • The same "restrictiveness" of Ubuntu is carried over to Xubuntu
  • I had a problem installing from the Live CD. This may or may not have been an issue with the CD.

Summary:
This derivative of Ubuntu is to be commended because it is every bit as thought out as Ubuntu, something that doesn't often happen with derivatives. For anyone who has more limited resources (but not too limited) say, around 512MB of RAM, and enjoys the Ubuntu experience, this is a great distro..also reasonably newbie-friendly. I give it a B+ for looks and an B+ for newbie friendliness.