Mar 30, 2011 17:31 GMT  ·  By

Tomorrow, March 31st, Canonical will unleash to the world the first Beta version of the upcoming Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) operating system, due for release on April 28th, 2011.

With this occasion we thought it will be a wonderful idea to inform our readers about some very nice features that will be included in this first Beta release of Ubuntu 11.04. Of course, before the final version, there will be a second Beta, due for release on April 14th.

Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) Beta 1 is powered by Linux kernel 2.6.38, GNOME 2.32.1 and X.Org 7.5. It will included applications such as LibreOffice 3.3.2 as the default office suite, Banshee 1.9.4 as the default audio player/organizer and Mozilla Firefox 4.0 as the default web browser.

A set of seventeen new and beautiful wallpapers will also be present in the Beta release, to please every Ubuntu user out there. And now, the features we've promised...

1. Better integration of Ubuntu One online storage service (with its revamped control panel)...

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2. Easy access to all system settings...
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3. LibreOffice 3.3.2 as the default office suite (with shortcut icons for Writer, Calc and Spreadsheet in the Unity launcher)...
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4. The amazing and ultimate Mozilla Firefox 4.0 web browser...
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5. Throwing a window in the upper panel will automatically maximize it (the same effect also works if you move the window to left or right, just not in fullscreen mode)...
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6. You'll have four workspaces, so you can easily work on multiple projects, with multiple applications, dragging them from one desktop to another with a single mouse click on the Unity launcher...
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7. You'll be able to easily place an application shortcut on the Unity panel, if installing with the Ubuntu Software Center...
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8. The Unity panel will offer easy access to recent and favorite folders and files...
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9. The Unity panel will offer easy access to frequently used, installed and available applications...
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10. Re-invented ALT+F2 run dialog, right in the heart of Unity, allowing you to search for everything you need... in a few seconds...
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With this said, Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) will be the 14th release of the Ubuntu operating system. Don't forget to visit our website tomorrow, March 31st, for an in-depth article about the Ubuntu 11.04 (Natty Narwhal) Beta 1 release, when we will unveil more features and the download links, of course!

About Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution for your desktop or server, with a fast and easy install, regular releases, a tight selection of excellent packages installed by default, every other package you can imagine available from the network, and professional technical support from Canonical Ltd and hundreds of other companies around the world.