Very much the poster child for Linux accessibility, Ubuntu has - in just a few years - been identified broadly as a strong starting point for those looking to try the open source operating system for the first time. Now up to version 7.10, codenamed Gutsy Gibbon, there are ample reasons here why its popularity isn't likely to be dampened.

We tested out the downloadable live CD version, which packs a CD-ROM and allows you to trial the distribution by booting into it off an optical drive. You can run Ubuntu without it touching your hard drive at all, and if you do decide to then install it, double-clicking the relevant icon brings up a friendly installer that shields you from some of the more sophisticated decisions that installing an OS often demands. Even disk partitioning is handled from within the install routine, and while it can take a while if you go down that path, the core installation is easily lighter than that of Windows.

The OS boots up to the familiar Ubuntu brown desktop screen, and we were pleased to find that much of our hardware was detected and up and running straight away. Even our USB flash drives were detected and, straight from install, we had a PC that contained the bulk of what we needed for a serviceable office machine. It's also a desktop that will make Windows users feel comfortable and at home.

While the DVDs inevitably offer more, the CD version is no skinflint. On the graphics side, for instance, you get the F-Spot Photo Manager, open source legend The GIMP image editor, gThumb Image Viewer and Xsane Image Scanner. Open Office comes ready installed too, which brings with it a further drawing application. Firefox is the browser of choice, with Evolution e-mail client and Pidgin Instant Messenger also provided, while a handful of games and media applications pretty much round out the package. In short, it offers more than enough to get you started but doesn't load down your hard disk.

We did have a couple of problems, though. Firstly, we struggled with media playback, given that appropriate codecs weren't all present and correct, but this wasn't a tricky one to resolve. We struggled too to get our sound hardware recognised. Yet here's where one of Ubuntu's trump cards comes into play: because so many people use it, there's a wealth of support material online and there's a strong chance that someone has had your problem before you have. Just be prepared to do a bit of work if something goes wrong.

With a further improved interface and genuine ease of use (particularly for Windows migraters), Ubuntu is a strong operating system and truly one of the friendliest forms of Linux out there. Should you choose to explore Linux further, this may not be the distribution you stick with long term, but it's a very welcome stepping stone at worst, and a strong OS in its own right at best.

One of the shining lights of Linux. While Gutsy Gibbon doesn't do anything particularly dramatic, it's a friendly, well put-together operating system, and deserving of its popularity.