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Here are some more information for Cube Desktop:

Change to Ubuntu Hardy Heron

Windows Vista looks fantastic but I've always been disappointed by a somewhat lacklustre performance, especially at startup. Certain that my super quick PC could do much much more, I decided to take the plunge and install the Linux-based OS along side Windows Vista.

Ubuntu Hardy Heron was released in late April, 2008 and is the best version of Ubuntu so far. The key reason I felt it was time to give it a try was the press coverage of the Wubi installer. Wubi is this neat little installation package that lets you install Ubuntu from Windows, on the same partition as your current installation. It even sets up a dual boot configuration so you can quickly and easily restart your computer and return to Vista.

Ubuntu has an amazing 3d desktop option called Compiz that allows you to rotate your desktop in 3d! Want to create yourself an Ubuntu machine that can do this?

Here's a list of features available, and a basic installation guide. I've referenced useful guides where possible:

Ubuntu – Download Ubuntu and open the ISO from Windows. Run Wubi and it installs easily, right from your desktop. It won't break Windows! Oh, and should you get bored of Ubuntu you can uninstall from the add/remove programs menu. When you restart your machine, you'll be given an option to boot from Windows or Ubuntu.

Compiz – that's the 3d desktop environment plugin. Once installed, you should see “advanced desktop effects” settings in the preferences drop down. Switch on “desktop cube”. The keyboard shortcut for the cube on my machine is CTRL,ALT and the right mouse button. There are loads of settings to play with in Compiz, which does take a while to set up. Once it's done, there's no turning back.

Get Thunderbird  – the best email client I've found for Ubuntu, and it does RSS quite well. You can install Thunderbird using the downloadable install package straight from the website.

VLC viewer is a great media player for video because it has native XVID support and lots more. It seems like the best free media player and I've been using it without a problem for a few months now.

I'm still working on finding the best mp3 player – I'm using a player called Audacious, but at the time of writing I'm just downloading and installing a player called amarok. The screenshots look awesome. I'm still undecided on which MP3 player to use.

Many of the applications named above can be searched for and installed via the Synaptic Package Manager under System>Administration (a bit like add/remove programs), but don't be put off by the few command lines you have to run to get any of these packages working. It's really easy, I promise.

The time may come when you're ready to migrate to Ubuntu for good. Not a decision to take lightly, I can tell you! I certainly haven't moved over completely just yet. When the time comes, you'll need to move your virtual disk file to a dedicated partition. You can do this by using LVPM to transfer your Wubi partition to Ubuntu's native ext3 partition format.

So, give some thought to the Windows alternatives. The more people out there using Ubuntu, the more software tools we'll get for it. I'm really excited so far and it's working really well. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this post and any experience you've had with Ubuntu. Here's a detailed guide on how to install Ubuntu for you to get started. Good luck!

About the Author

Richard Baxter is an SEO consultant in London. He's a regular author on the subjects of Ubuntu, the Linux based OS and SEO.

How do I get the "Ubuntu cube"?

I am new to Ubuntu, and I run Ubuntu 9.04 on my desktop computer. I have seen people on Youtube who can switch between workspaces on their Ubuntu operating system using a "cube" that rotates workspaces. Can someone give me a step by step walkthrough of how to do this on my computer? I am a beginner so I will need easy-to-follow instructions, please.

Go to "System," then "Administration" and "Synaptic Package Manager." Search for and select the file named "compizconfig-settings-manager."

Install the file named "compizconfig-settings-manager."

Click on "System," then "Preferences" and finally "Advanced Desktop Effect Settings" once the file installs.

Check the box labeled "Rotate Cube."

Note: You must have a compatible video card for this effect.

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