14 DAY TRIAL // Many Ubuntu 12.04 LTS users are still employing the system that was initially launched two years ago, but there are a few reasons why the upgrade to Ubuntu 14.04 LTS is actually recommended.
Just like the current release, Ubuntu 12.04 LTS was a very stable version and the community adopted it wholeheartedly. Like it always happens, some users like it so much that they are now having problems letting go.
Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) has been a success and it's very likely that two years from now, when the next 16.04 is released, many users will cling to an older version of Ubuntu out of habit, for the most part.
One of the best reasons to upgrade to Ubuntu 14.04 LTS is by far the new Linux kernel stack that comes with the new version. Ubuntu 14.04 includes the 3.13.0-24.46 Ubuntu Linux kernel, which is based on the v3.13.9 upstream stable Linux kernel, which is one of the newest ones made available.
This new kernel version allows for better networking support, better bonding support, better bridge management, Thermal and Power Management, better security with AppArmor, and improved hardware support. Also, the quota support for Btrfs, XFS, and Ext4 have been included, as well as Ext2/3 support via the Ext4 driver.
Upgrading to a new version of Ubuntu will also provide users with a better Unity experience. The default desktop environment for all Ubuntu systems is Unity, and the developers have made some great progress since 2012. The new interface is fast and has much more features than the one that was initially released two years ago.
If the new Unity is not enough of a reason to upgrade to the new version, then maybe the new application stack will convince you. Most of the normal applications, like Firefox, Thunderbird, Pidgin, and so on, are upgraded on all the distributions in the same way, but the core stack of packages have different versions.
Nautilus, the default file manager, is just one of the examples, but there are a number of packages that really make the difference when moving from Ubuntu 12.04 LTS to Ubuntu 14.04 LTS.
The update procedure is very simple and all you have to do is start the Update Manager and let the process run without interrupting it. All the settings and personal documents will be kept and you will end up with a modern system that will be supported for the next five years.