So as you can tell the top shelf has been centered and the bottom panel is pretty much the same and we have widgets now. Well I decided to use screenlets to give the widgets. I was going to go with Google Gadgets but I decided not to, Google gadgets will work on non accelerated hardware but not that great. Mac OS X users have gadgets, so do Windows Vista users, now so do PC/OS users. They will not be turned on by default and the user will decide. I decided to go with Screenlets as well because of the openness of the project, and I do hope that if you create a Gadget, you submit that gadget.
Now we have the new default browser, Flock rendering the PC/OS web page. The question keeps coming up, Why Flock and not Firefox 3? Flock is a very good consumer browser based on Firefox. Flock was chosen primarily because it is Firefox based, it has all the scial networking crap that you can find without having to install extra extensions. The mobile section on the menu will be disappearing with all the links in Flock as bookmarks.
Some of the new features include an updated gUfw firewall configuration tool, Kernelcheck, a utility to automatically update your kernel will be installed by default but do realize if you have a support contract with Canonical and or myself that support will be null and void. The problem being I can support the stock kernel but not the hundreds of kernel variants that Kernelcheck can produce, sorry. Anywho, GMobileBrowse will be included in this release, if you have a Mobile Phone or PDA you can browse the SIM card with this utility vs having to remove the Sim card, etc, etc. Audacious replaces Rhythmbox and gtkPod will be included to interface your iPod. I want a Zune, so I can figure out how to get the damn thing to work with Linux. Its actually a cool device that is way too undercredited. I use the iPod and the Walkman more, since they work with Linux. The DVD release will include all the multimedia tools and will bring it up to par with UbuntuStudio or 64studio. Some users have complained about downloading the DVD iso and having the plethora of tools they dont even use, so the recommended install source for the average consumer will be OpenWorkstation 2008: Lite. It has everything from productivity, games and the new stuff like Screenlets etc, but no multimedia or development based tools. The name will change from Lite to something else, I just dont know yet.
This release will include all of the security and bug fixes with Maintenance Pack 2 being released according to the roadmap. Merlin will be released in october with a CD release only.
Open Server System 2008v2 will have many of the cosmetic enhancements of the consumer series minus Flock and have more server based functions including but not limited to, sensor support and a surprise yet to be revealed.
