Ubuntu's latest Linux distribution, code-named Breezy Badger, is one of the most user-friendly operating systems developed by the open-source community to date. Is it time to make the switch?

While some businesses may not find the Linux operating system suitable, Ubuntu's latest desktop could appeal to other enterprises which require basic applications such as e-mail, a Web browser, and an office suite that just works.

Ubuntu was founded about two years ago by Mark Shuttleworth, the man who sold his security firm, Thawte Consulting, to Verisign for US$500 million.

Since its inception, Ubuntu has focused on developing an easy-to-use operating system that's free of charge. The company has been able to leverage off the Debian project, a popular Linux distribution amongst open-source developers, and deliver a user friendly version for non-technical computer users.

In this photo gallery, we look at what Breezy Badger has to offer, including how it works with OpenOffice 2.0, the free productivity suite.

We tested Breezy Badger in VMWare 5. The Grub boot loader with Breezy Badger will allow you to boot multiple operating systems on one computer, which means users can install it side-by-side with their existing operating system.

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The Ubuntu boot screen took approximately 30 seconds in our test and users can see the modules being loaded.

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To log into Ubuntu you need to create a username and password. Multiple users on one machine can be configured by the PC administrator.

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This is the default splash screen users are presented with in Ubuntu. This version of Ubuntu is based on the Gnome desktop environment. A KDE version of Ubuntu -- called Kubuntu -- is also available.

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After boot up, Ubuntu has an automatic update feature that will keep the operating system up to date with the latest patches and security updates.

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If you accept the updates the software will install and update the system and applications automatically.

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By default, navigation of applications start at the top left of the screen. This can be configured to the bottom, left, or right of the screen according to your personal preference.

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Breezy Badger comes installed with a wide array of Web-based applications such as the Evolution e-mail application, Firefox browser, Gaim instant messenger client, BitTorrent client, IRC chat, and Gnome meeting.

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Ubuntu can view a variety of network types by default, including Windows networks. The latest release includes support for thin client integration, allowing a lightweight Ubuntu disc image to be booted over a network from an Ubuntu server.

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The problem with many Linux desktop distributions in the past has been hardware support. Breezy Badger has automatic hardware detection included in the operating system.

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Breezy Badger comes installed with OpenOffice 2.0, the free office suite that includes a word processor, database, spreadsheet functionality, a Microsoft PowerPoint clone, and project management tools.

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OpenOffice's Base is a database application that can do simple data collection and presentation.

It supports a number of database formats, and data from existing databases can be imported into the OpenOffice version.

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OpenOffice's Base is a database application that can do simple data collection and presentation. Impress is an OpenOffice application that can best be described as a clone of Microsoft's PowerPoint.

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The standard e-mail tool included in Breezy Badger is the Evolution client originally developed by Ximian. Other e-mail clients such as Mozilla's Thunderbird will also work.

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The popular Firefox browser is installed by default in Ubuntu.

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Ubuntu comes installed with a project management application called Planner. The tool allows users to create simple Gannt charts, tasks, and allocate resources.

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More applications are available on Ubuntu's Web site. This example shows a wide variety of tools for software developers. Other application updates available include media players, Web browsers, office applications, accessibility tools, and games.

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