Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" Beta is Now Available

If October 10th is too far away, but you have an insatiable urge to play with Ubuntu's upcoming release, you're in luck. The beta for Ubuntu 10.10 "Maverick Meerkat" has been uploaded to servers, seeded as torrents, and is ready to find its way onto your computer.   

Before you throw Canonical's latest on a CD or USB drive, here's what you can expect from the 10.10 desktop and netbook editions.   
 
Both flavors of 10.10 beta get a new installer which makes clear the difference between running a Live CD/USB test version of the OS or installing it. When putting it on a hard disk, Ubuntu will ask which partition Maverick Meerkat should reside on and start the installation immediately. While this occurs in the background, Ubuntu continues the traditional installation prompts: username, password, time zone, etc. Maverick Meerkat will also ask if you would like to download the MP3 codec automatically—an important addition for making Ubuntu a hospitable environment for new users.   
 
Regular Ubuntu users will notice the visual refinements in the default themes and wallpaper. 10.10 beta also adds a new sound menu which not only has a volume slider, but features media player controls and track information. Currently only the default player Rhythmbox works with the sound menu, but other applications should be supported by the official 10.10 release.  

Canonical has worked hard on the Ubuntu Software Center, refining its interface while adding new features. Addons can now be linked to applications and installed directly from the Software Center. 10.10 also introduces a new applications store where software can be purchased. While the Software Center is nothing new, tuning the application acquisition interface to the familiar app store model is an important step in bringing Linux software to the masses who might not know where to find a word processor. The Software Center now showcases "Featured" and new software.   
 
10.10 Desktop includes new versions of GNOME, Evolution email, the Gwibber Twitter client, and Shotwell replaces F-Stop as the default photo manager.  
 
The biggest news is that Maverick Meerkat introduces Multi-Touch into Unbuntu, even in applications that don't support Multi-Touch by default. Along with two finger scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, and the usual array of tapping gestures, Ubuntu will recognize triple tapping, holding, dragging, and flicking.  
 
Have a netbook? The Ubuntu Netbook Edition 10.10 Maverick Meerkat beta may appeal to you. The Unity interface has received many refinements since it was first revealed back in May. Though intended for the lower system specs of notebooks, the interface seems well suited to evolve into a touch OS somewhere down the road. Before you go wiping your hard drive clean and installing either of the Maverick Meerkat 10.10 editions, do remember that they are still in beta.  
 
WebUpd8 reports that the netbook edition has a nasty memory leak issue and is nigh unusable. The desktop edition fairs better, but still has problems of its own. If you can't wait another month for the official release, you can download the beta from Ubuntu's website and run it as a live CD.
 
Image credit: Arstechnica, Canonical