ubuntu wrote:I don't get it!! Every single Distro I try is the same set of programs and eyecandy! Can anyone give me a good reason to use Ultimate??
I suggest you use what works for you. I installed Ultimate Edition 2.1 because it's more stable on my system than plain vanilla Ubuntu 8.10 but that's me and my system. In a more generic sense, I think Ultimate Edition makes sense for people who want a good selection of sofware PRE-installed with their distro. The most popular "set of programs and eyecandy" are going to show up in most distros
because they're the most popular.
There are, basically, three type of Linux distros available to the user:
1.
Spartan - At one end of the spectrum we have the "bare-bones" distros. These install the absolute
minimum necessary to get your PC booting. Arch is one such distro. You install the bootstrap OS files but everything else is up to you to install manually. Freedom of choice and too build from the ground up the EXACT distro you want/need is the touted advantage (pro). Too much effort, too "geeky", not user-friendly will be common complaints about such distros (con).
2.
Full Blown - At the opposite end of the spectrum we have the fully-loaded distros. These distros come with a "full suite" of applications, sometimes two or three or more applications that do the same thing or have a lot of overlap. Media players, codecs, or specialty software might be a highlight of these distros (like Ubuntu Studio, for example). Ultimate Edition is this kind of distro. This is what I call a "Load and Go" distro. Load it up and you're good to go with tons of software at your fingertips (pro). Some people, however, will see this as "bloat" (con).
3.
Middle of the Road - This is the classification where, probably, 80% of Linux distros fall. MotR distros try to install a basic, middle of the road (hence the name) spread of applications that will satisfy the greatest number of users right from the start. It's a balancing act: enough applications to satisfy, but small enough to fit on a 700MB CD for ease of downloading and compatibility with existing hardware. If you think that's an easy thing to do, I suggest you try it sometime. It's also why probably 80% of the distros you run across have a similar set of applications and eye candy installed. The basics, the most popular apps for doing the most common tasks, is a pretty well-worn path with Linux users generally speaking.
In short, no, I can't give you a good reason to use Ultimate Edition because I have no idea what your particular needs are. I can suggest you try it on, see how it fits. If you like it, great, welcome to our little asylum. If not, well... Fair winds and following seas! Mabye OpenSuse or Fedora or Debian is closer to what you're looking for.