14 DAY TRIAL // The Ubuntu Software Center has been around for quite some time and it changed a lot since its launch. The project hasn't been improved in a while and it looks like things are stagnating a little. This is where the App Grid comes into play, an application that is fully capable of replacing Ubuntu Software Center right now.
There is no doubt that some of Ubuntu’s success as an operating system can be attributed to the Software Center. In a time when most Linux distributions were using package managers that were only about function and not form, Ubuntu dared to introduce an application that could do both.
It's also true that Canonical spent a lot of time improving this application. If we go just a few years back, we can easily remember that Ubuntu Software Center was not actually a very good app. It would crash and had a lot of bugs. Things got better in time, but not much has changed for USC.
“Written from scratch, App Grid delivers stunning startup speed, and swift reactions throughout. A clean and simple design makes App Grid a joy to use. No confusion, no frustration. Discover the best of Open Source in the Ubuntu archives. Or purchase additional apps via Ubuntu One. Complete with ratings, reviews & screenshots.” This is what the developers are saying about it, but is it true?
Surprisingly, App Grid works much better than Ubuntu Software Center. The first thing that you will notice is the blazing speed. Everything opens instantaneously, with almost no delay. It helps having a good Internet connection, but besides that it works like a charm.
To make things even more interesting, the developers didn't make it available only for Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, which is just a few months old. Users will be able to install it in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS and Ubuntu 13.10 as well. This can be done either by using the provided deb file or with the help of a PPA.
With the PPA, users will always have the latest version installed, so this is the recommended method. Just open a terminal and enter the following commands (you will need to be root for this to work):
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:appgrid/stable sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install appgrid
You will now be able to used App Grid instead of Ubuntu Software Center and it will appear in the right click menu.
You can also download App Grid right now from Softpedia.
Enjoy!