Ubuntu GNOME & CINNAMON Reviews

Full featured Linux distro

DISCOVERY
I researched and watched YouTube Videos to determine what distros might be worth exploring. Ubuntu was high on the list based on the recommendations found on multiple websites and on YouTube. Ubuntu has the largest community support of any Linux distro.

INSTALLATION
I downloaded the newest ISO file for Ubuntu GNOME and Ubuntu CINNAMON. From there I created a Hyper-V machine and booted from the ISO. Following the prompts will take you through th entire installation process.
   GNOME has the taskbard on the left side and discourages having icons on the desktop. If your coming from Windows, you may be lost for a while.
   Cinnamon has the taskbar on the bottom like Windows and allows icons on the desktop.
Both versions were installed as Hyper-V virtual machines for a quick review and comparison with other distros.

VIDEO DRIVER
Ubuntu Cinnamon did NOT detect that I was using Hyper-V and did not try to install any type of video driver. I was limited to a 1024x768 screen resolution. Does anyone know how to remedy this situation other than installing it on dedicated hardware? This is a deal killer for me.

PRINTER DRIVER
Ubuntu auto detected the Brother Laser AIO printer on the network. No driver install was necessary. Printing simply worked. NOTE: I have NOT attempted to use the scanner. I am assuming I would need to get software from Brother to make that work.

WI-FI
This was not tested as I only installed Ubuntu as a virtual machine.

SAMBA SUPPORT
Installs easily via the command line using instructions provided on the Ubuntu website. It works as expected.

SOFTWARE
There are no problems to report with my limited testing. Several programs were installed and worked as expected.

OVERALL IMPRESSION OF UBUNTU (GNOME)
Setup was just as fast if not faster than a Windows 10 installation. I had a difficult time navigating the default GNOME desktop as its significantly different than Windows. It seems clumsy with a taskbar on the left. I know that the GNOME interface is a top choice for many users and I'm NOT saying its bad, it's just not for me.

OVERALL IMPRESSION OF UBUNTU (CINNAMON)
Setup was just as fast if not faster than a Windows 10 installation. The Cinnamon version is a HUGE improvement and better for people transitioning from Windows. If I had to use Unbutu, it would be the Cinnamon variant. However, the inability to increase the screen resolution makes it unusable. I still prefer Mint.