Ubtunu 11.04 will be Optimised for All Platforms

Installing Ubuntu Linux on a netbook entailed a search for the latest version of the specially optimised netbook editions. This will be a thing of the past as Ubuntu is doing away with different optimisations of the base Ubuntu version. Starting from Ubuntu 11.04 (codenamed Natty Narwhal), all subsequent versions will be multi-platform and will therefore not have separate editions. The core distribution will be called just Ubuntu.

Ubuntu Netbook Edition, especially, will cease to exist and will be merged under the same Ubuntu brand name, just like all other variants. This decision comes after increased demand for Ubuntu on portable devices, mainly netbooks. The existence of a Netbook Edition would make users assume that the standard Ubuntu edition isn't good or optmisied enough for netbooks. "The introduction of the new shell for Ubuntu means that we have a user interface that works equally well whatever the form factor of the PC," said Canonical while explaining the dissolution of Ubuntu Netbook Edition.

Since the Ubuntu 11.04 onwards will be multiplatform and optimised for all devices - desktop and portable - it will be distributed as a multi-platform solution that's advertised to work well whether you're using a netbook, laptop or a full-fledged desktop. The Ubuntu distro is expected to hit the Internet by the end of April.