Ubuntu 8.04 desktop press release

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition Released

Integrates the Latest Stable Applications with Long Term Support

LONDON, April 21, 2008 - Canonical Ltd. announced the upcoming availability
of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition for free download on Thursday 24 April. In
related news, Canonical also announced the simultaneous release of Ubuntu
8.04 LTS Server Edition.

Ubuntu 8.04 Long Term Support (LTS) provides a stable platform for software
and hardware vendors, developers and users. With three years of support and
maintenance on the desktop, 8.04 LTS is a great choice for large-scale
deployment. A substantial and growing ecosystem of free and commercial
software built for Ubuntu provides a rich set of choices for desktop users.
This is the eighth desktop release of Ubuntu. Ubuntu's track record in
delivering - on a precise schedule every six months - a commercial operating
system that is free, stable, secure and fully supported, remains unique.

"Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition is a very significant release as it will
take Ubuntu squarely into the business environment," said Jane Silber, COO of
Canonical Ltd. "Our business and home users have told us that they want a
longer support cycle to make Ubuntu a better deployment option. We have
responded to that and added a commitment to much broader software and
hardware support that we and our partners are excited to deliver. With
enhanced commercial support through Landscape, combined with our always
excellent community support, expect to see 8.04 LTS drive Ubuntu into new
arenas."

"Ubuntu's polished, user focused version of the Linux desktop has built
itself a wide enough following to compel significant ISV interest and
support," said Stephen O'Grady, principal analyst at Redmonk. "By coupling a
very capable desktop offering with long term support options, Ubuntu is
becoming an increasingly viable option for enterprises as well as
consumers."

"Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino bring highly scalable messaging and
industry-leading collaboration to the Ubuntu desktop," said Kevin Cavanaugh,
vice president of IBM Lotus Software. "We believe the extended multi-year
support for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS makes it an excellent desktop solution for
corporate users who wish to deploy Lotus Notes on an open platform."
Latest and Greatest Applications

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS raises the bar on the Linux desktop experience. It includes
the latest, stable version of many core products, and in that spirit is the
first distribution to bring Mozilla Firefox 3 (Beta 5) to millions of users.
The combination of Linux and Firefox make Ubuntu 8.04 LTS a superb web
desktop, with fast browsing and greatly reduced exposure to viruses, web
forgery and spyware.

Enhanced photo experience: The enhanced default photo manager, F-Spot,
together with improved camera and phone recognition means users can upload,
tag, manage, display, delete, print and share photos with friends and family
more easily.

Music sharing and download: Users can plug in a PSP, share playlists with
friends, buy from the Magnatune online music store, stream live radio and
plug in more devices than ever (with UpnP).

Better video: The new default movie player now allows users to browse YouTube
and other video sources across the web and to share their videos with others.
It integrates with Myth TV, the open source TVR, so users can watch their
favourite TV shows straight on the desktop. Brasero allows them to easily
burn all content to CD or DVD.

Productivity enhancements: Clock and calendar integration is available to
manage time across the globe with a single click to set, attend and receive
alerts about appointments.

Slick desktop: Ubuntu 8.04 LTS combines the latest GNOME applications with
desktop visual effects, giving users a smoother, better-looking and more
intuitive experience.
Breadth and Depth of Services

Longer support: Ubuntu 8.04 LTS is supported with security updates and
maintenance for three years so corporate and individual users have a longer
upgrade planning cycle. Those who want the newest applications will be able
to upgrade to Ubuntu 8.10, due in October 2008, those who prefer longer
deployment cycles can stay with Ubuntu 8.04 for three years before moving to
the next LTS release.

More applications: More than 30 commercial ISVs plan to support and
distribute their applications on the 8.04 LTS desktop platform, including
Adobe, Google, Real Networks, Nero, Skype, Corel, Parallels and Fluendo.

More accessibility: Gesture support allows users to navigate Ubuntu in a more
natural fashion. Also available are increased language support for voice
command, support for keyboard accessibility, slow keys, zoom and more.
Pricing and Availability

Ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition is free of charge and available on Thursday
from http://www.ubuntu.com/download.
About Canonical Ltd

Canonical Ltd, the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu, is a global organisation
headquartered in Europe committed to the development, distribution and
support of open source software products and communities. World-class 24x7
commercial support for Ubuntu is available through Canonical's global support
team and partners. Since its launch in October 2004 Ubuntu has become one of
the most highly regarded Linux distributions with millions of users around
the world.

Ubuntu will always be free to download, free to use and free to distribute to
others. With these goals in mind, Ubuntu aims to be the most widely used
Linux system, and is the centre of a global open source software ecosystem.
For more information visit www.canonical.com or www.ubuntu.com.

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