But actually there was an easier option… just go to the Update Manager in the Ubuntu System Administration, check for updates and then let it do it’s thing. And that’s what I did. It took a couple of hours, but only because I was doing other things (it was a day off work) and there were some OK buttons that were required to be pressed. The process said the final part would take about four hours but actually completed in about fifteen minutes… not a terribly good estimation, but better than estimating fifteen minutes and taking four hours I guess.

Overall impressions… excellent, a big improvement on version 9.04. It doesn’t really look any different, but the performance is much better, especially things like the screen redraw which were awful with 9.04 because of the display drivers for the ThinkPad W500. Now the display performance is great (better than Windows XP on the same laptop) and I can use the advanced wobbling screen effects. Suspend and resume (always previously unreliable) seem to work fine. Overall 9.10 feels much more polished.

So what about the Canonical claim that configuring via the command prompt is a thing of the past? I think if you properly understand the Synaptic Package Manager then you are very likely to avoid the dreaded Terminal. Although I did resort to the command prompt to upgrade Notes to version 8.5.1 I could actually have avoided it. My Linux knowledge let me down, but doesn’t that tell us that it’s still not as user-friendly as it could be? I never had any such issues with the Apple Mac which I felt at home with instantaneously.

The other negative is that the ThinkPad’s trackpad is permanently on (aarrrggh, I hate the thing) and there’s no way in Ubuntu to turn it off. I tried creating a configuration file (following advice from a tip on the Interweb), but that didn’t work. So I’ll have to turn the trackpad off at the BIOS level.

On the positive side Ubuntu 9.10 is packed with great utilities, the WiFi is a doddle to configure, and time from cold boot to ready is extremely quick. Both navigation and the customisation to get your own comfortable look and feel are very easy. It seems like a very viable client platform growing in maturity, and I hope it gets some serious consideration from companies who are looking at the costs of upgrading to Windows 7.

Being a BBC reporter, Gary Parkinson does of course take the opportunity to see everything from a Windows point of view, but I suppose this is understandable. He homes in on the fact that iTunes isn’t available on Linux operating systems, and then discusses the fact that Linux (even Ubuntu) hasn’t always been seen as user-friendly. Windows, irrespective of what you think of it, has been honed to be pretty user-friendly over the years… rarely (if ever) do home users have to go to a command prompt to configure things. Thankfully Canonical’s Chris Kenyon says the new release puts a stop to all of that (I’ll tell you later in the week if it really is true).

Parkinson talks about recommending Linux to older family members or friends, but is that really where Ubuntu wants to sit, with the home user? Certainly I’d have no bones about recommending Lotus Symphony or OpenOffice to home users, and indeed I have. But I see Linux as something that needs to be properly rolled out, supported and maintained within organisations, like those named in the Beeb’s article. A lack of support for iTunes isn’t really going to matter there. Home users (in my humble opinion) should buy an Apple Mac… it’s businesses that have the potential to decrease costs through properly maintained open-source software. Whatever your opinion, it’s very important that Microsoft have competitors in this space, and thus improvements to Ubuntu can only be a good thing.

Adam Jollans, IBM’s Linux and Open Source Strategy Manager, will kick off with a session about open source solutions revolutionising the IT market. Then we have someone called Darren Adams (who is apparently very good) talking about Web 2.0 collaboration and the desktop of the future (today), followed by more information about Ubuntu and freeing yourself from the Microsoft Windows and Office lock-ins. After a free lunch, there’s a hands-on technology workshop which will allow delegates to experience the IBM Lotus collaboration suite running in a Ubuntu Linux environment.

With organisations continuing to look for ways to drive down costs, Ubuntu and solutions such as IBM Lotus Symphony offer the potential for cost savings – just ask the French Police. So why not invest a day to see how your business could benefit?

The event will take place at IBM South Bank. A page for registration will be available soon. In the meantime mark it in your diaries and check back here for a link in a couple of days.

Update: the link for registration is now available.

The base installation was extremely easy. Part 2 seemed a little complicated but I was assured that this was because they had all of the necessary updates downloaded to a cached proxy, and they had also provided an automated script to install IBM Lotus Notes 8.5, Symphony, Sametime and Mobile Connect. So in next to no time everything was set up.

Okay, let’s be honest – I’ve been a Windows user for 18 years. There are still some things I need on Windows, so there will be times when I need to put the other hard disk back in. Work stuff like Hyperion and some personal stuff like my favourite genealogy application (and my 1-2-3 spreadsheet used for financial planning – it uses 1-2-3 macros) aren’t supported on Linux, although I could use Windows XP in a VMWare session. That’s fine, I didn’t expect to drop Windows cold turkey-style – I’m expecting to phase it out as I find Linux alternatives. I expected to lament the loss of Paint Shop Pro, but I’ve already discovered the built-in graphic editor known as GIMP.

First impressions of Ubuntu Linux? It boots up faster than Windows, it’s ready to use immediately after login (Windows still takes a good 2 to 3 minutes to sort itself out), the wireless networking is so simple that someone over 40 could do it (kids are no longer the benchmark for simplicity because they often out-techno their parents), and it seems very easy to navigate and configure (time will tell if that’s reality day in day out, but it’s looking good).