From PC World: The Ubuntu desktop has seen very little change since Ubuntu 14.04 LTS was released two years ago. That’s about to change with today's launch of Ubuntu 16.04 LTS—code-named “Xenial Xerus”—which brings big changes and welcome polish to the classic Unity 7 desktop.
If you’re using the Unity 7 desktop—now Unity 7.4—you’ll have a better experience than ever before. Those controversial online search results—which some people called “spyware”—are now disabled by default. Ubuntu won’t send your local searches over the Web to show you shopping results anymore.
Unity 7 also now, at long last, lets you move your launcher to the bottom of the screen. The feature is hidden and requires a terminal command, but it’s officially supported. Unity 7.4 brings a variety of other little improvements and bits of polish that make this a satisfying revamp.
The aging Ubuntu Software Center is now gone, replaced by the shiny new GNOME Software application that Fedora has been using for several releases. In addition to traditional Deb packages, Ubuntu now supports “Snaps,” which can be installed alongside Debs. Because they’re self-contained packages that can include their own dependencies, Snaps can’t mess with the rest of your system. They’ll be ideal for installing proprietary software or the latest versions of big open-source projects—like desktop environments—without risk.
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