There are hundreds if not thousands of these "Top 10 linux apps" and "Apps you must have following Ubuntu installation" type blog entries but in my opinion these are useless unless you can identify with the author. To help you identify with me:
- Been using Ubuntu for home use (DVDs, photos, internet) for over 5 years.
- Mainly use open source applications but not exclusively.
- Prefer to pay nothing for the software.
- It should just work "out the box", no command line or extensive "how to" required.
- Could be said I am a Google fan boy
- VLC
VLC is a multimedia player that I suspect could play a LP if you could just get it installed on a gramophone. In all seriousness it will play anything you throw at it... out of the box! This app can be installed on any operating system and is open source. Only one thing irritates me about this app and it has wound me up everyday since I first installed it. It eats away at me it makes me want to cry some days..... what is it? Its the icon!!!! A traffic cone? WHY?!?!?!?!?!? Maybe I am the one with the problem.
Available from http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ or the Ubuntu repositories
- Chromium / ChromeThe open source project behind Chrome is called Chromium. Google packages chromium with Google branding and proprietary codecs (like flash) under the Chrome name. So depending on your persuasion ill let you decide which one to use. It is extremely well made with each tab as a seperate process which means that no one tab can crash the browser, It is extremely fast and has a user interface that is almost invisible.
Chromium is available from the Ubuntu repositories but for Chrome go here: http://www.google.com/chrome/
- Synapse
Everyone talks about Gnome-Do but I have three problems with it: can never get a PPA that works with the newest versions of Ubuntu, the Ubuntu repositories version has a bug that makes Ubuntu unusable and finally the development of it is slow if not dead. So I now use Synapse... It has almost, if not all the functionality of Gnome-Do and works GREAT. It is faster than the Ubuntu Dash so defiantly still adds value to my Ubuntu system.
Get the PPA from http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2010/11/synapse-gnome-do-launcher-app-review-ubuntu/
- Picasa
I think the windows version of Picasa maybe on version 3.7 when the beta linux version is still only 3.0. Its annoying but I love the Picasa application and its web integration. I have tried shotwell and f-spot but it just isn't as easy nor fun to use.
Get it here: http://picasa.google.com/linux/download.html
- GIMP
This app used to be part of the applications that by default was installed with Ubuntu but no longer. I respect Ubuntu's decision to remove it because if you was making a "Windows for human beings" it wouldn't include Photoshop. But lets stop that analogy there because if you have used Photoshop then you would find it hard to use. Took me some time but it is a very powerful tool. But there is always a BUT. Imagine my terror if I ever have children and they decided to edit some of their photos on Ubuntu. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I think what I am trying to say is that although I am open minded and very liberal: most companies and people might not see the funny side of its name.
Although removed, Gimp is still available from the Ubuntu Repositories.
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