Stories by Katherine Noyes

Ubuntu and Slackware named top desktop Linux distros

The world of desktop Linux is often portrayed these days as a battle primarily between longstanding leader Ubuntu and up-and-coming challenger Linux Mint, frequently with the suggestion that Mint is winning.

20 popular Ubuntu Linux apps you may want to try

As Ubuntu Linux continues to grow in popularity, most discussions of it tend to focus on the basics of the operating system itself, including especially details about its desktop environment and user interface.

Speedy Firefox 9 beta versions take their place in line

Hard on the heels of the release earlier this week of Firefox 8, Mozilla on Thursday released the beta versions of the next Firefox in line.

Need Linux skills? 12 places to learn online

As more and more companies turn to Linux for mission-critical operations, making sure IT staff have the necessary skills is becoming more important than ever.

Now with GNOME 3, Linux Mint 12 will meet users halfway

We've known for some time now that Linux Mint would be embracing GNOME 3 in some fashion, but last month it sounded like the controversial desktop interface would appear only in a separate, dedicated version.

As Chrome inches ahead, Firefox slims down

Google's Chrome browser is slowly but surely creeping up on Firefox in terms of market share, according to the latest Net Applications data, but Mozilla continues to tweak and polish Firefox with an ongoing series of new improvements.

Tablet shopping online? Watch out for fakes

Given the growing ubiquity of tablets in the business world as well as among consumers, it's a pretty safe bet that there are numerous IT decision-makers shopping online for the mobile devices at any given time.

Is Ubuntu Linux too late to the mobile game?

Canonical certainly delivered some exciting news this week when it announced that its Ubuntu Linux distribution is on the way to tablets, smartphones, and TVs.

Prefer open source? Join the crowd

If ever there was a year to demonstrate why open source software is a smart choice for businesses, 2011 has surely been it.

As Ubuntu Linux turns 7, 'Precise Pangolin' planning begins

It was exactly seven years ago that the very first version of Ubuntu Linux--dubbed "Warty Warthog"--was released, kicking off a long line of increasingly popular versions of the free and open source operating system.

Linux Mint will soon get a GNOME 3 edition

Now that Ubuntu Linux has chosen Unity as its default desktop environment, Linux Mint stands out as perhaps the most user-friendly distribution offering a non-Unity default alternative, as I've noted before.

A huge speed boost is on the way to Firefox for Android

If there's one thing browser users can't get enough of, it's speed, and Mozilla has just announced that it's working on a change to the Android version of Firefox that will deliver a huge surge of just that.

Looking for a polished Linux desktop? Consider KDE

In the world of Linux desktops, Ubuntu's Unity and GNOME have tended to dominate the headlines in recent months, but there's another contender that many consider an even better choice.

As LibreOffice turns one, a peek ahead at what's to come

It was just about a year ago that I was writing about the launch of LibreOffice, and now here we are today, marking the free productivity software suite's first year.

Excited for Ubuntu Linux 11.10? The countdown has begun

It may not compare with the hype that comes out of Cupertino or Redmond, but there's no denying that the new This Is the Countdown” website launched in the past few days adds a considerable dose of excitement to the upcoming launch of Ubuntu 11.10, or Oneiric Ocelot.