Before going into gorey detail however, I would first like to highlight some positive characteristics of the distribution.
Installation: Quick and almost brainless.
Update Manager: One of the most important aspects of the OS. Determines what packages are installed, determines what packages have been updated, downloads new packages, and installs flawlessly without you having to worry about anything. Very impressive.
X-Windows: Unlike with previous distributions, I didn't have to tinker with anything. Found and configured everything excellently.
Desktop: Uses the Gnome desktop environment which is clean and clutter-free. The menu is minimal yet complete, and applications are very carefully selected. Takes a few cues from Apple's OS X. Makes Microsoft Windows look quite dull.
Networking: Plugged the ethernet cord in, started the computer, and began browsing. Couldn't have been easier.
Sound: Worked immediately after installation without any tinkering whatsoever.
The following are not in any particular order, except perhaps, by how bothersome they might be:
Hibernate: This needs to be FIXED. I don't know how else to say this. It doesn't work. If you need to see how this should function, go to an Apple store near you, take a look at a functioning MacBook, close it, watch it go to sleep, open it, and watch it come alive in the same state like nothing happened.
Memory Management: The Linux kernel does a pretty decent job in this area. I am quite impressed with how far the software has come. As with anything though, it still isn't perfect and leaves room for improvement. I am well aware that the problem may be just as much be due to software applications (Firefox immediately comes to mind) if not more, but the kernel still functions as a manager of sorts and should be able to manage any type of application. I am also well aware that this is probably more an issue to be addressed by kernel developers, but my dealings are more directly with Ubuntu software, and the Ubuntu team is more able to communicate more directly with the kernel development team.
Polish: As previously mentioned, the polish of the OS is immediately evident. At the same time, quirky things do exist. I don't want to see kernel messages unless I specifically request for them. I don't want to see them when starting X-Windows, logging in, logging out, or switching users. Also, the "Lock Screen" display is just plain ugly and inconsistent with the log-in screen. The look-and-feel is different and so is the behavior (I have password echo disabled in the log-in screen, but echo remains enabled when the screen is locked. Go figure.). Another problem I have found is that when the screen resolution is changed and changed back, the icons in the Notification Area in the top-right corner of the screen often get jumbled or are simply rearranged in an inconsistent manner, while the trash in the bottom-right corner of the screen often disappears altogether. And while on that path, the trash icon sometimes indicates that it has contents when it does not (and vice-versa), and sometimes enables/disables the "Empty Trash" icon inappropriately.
Wireless Connectivity: I use ethernet cables to connect to the internet so I have never had to struggle with a wireless card. However, this seems to be a major problem for many others with laptops that need to connect wirelessly.
Power Management: Again a serious issue for laptops which need the ability to hibernate/sleep (see previous issue) and save energy when they are closed, then resume functionality once demanded.
GVFS: There seems to be a problem with this. Running the command "df -h" frequently gives an error related to "gvfs-fuse-daemon" and "~/.gvfs". On running the command "fusermount -u ~/.gvfs", the problem seems to go away for a little while, but then returns after a seemingly arbitrary amount of time.
The achievement of the Ubuntu GNU/Linux team is truly admirable and is something that needs to be celebrated by the entire community. In GNU/Linux, we are fortunate to have a complete and most advanced operating system, and Ubuntu takes things to the next level by providing remarkable polish and ease of use.
The work is never really done, however, and the main purpose of this article is to point out some of the more immediately bothersome flaws of the software in order that they may be fixed, producing a more beautiful and robust operating system.