Ubuntu 12.04 ALPHA 2 released and reviewed

Ubuntu 12.04 ALPHA 2 has been released just now, marking another step towards the 12.04 LTS.

What is new in Ubuntu 12.04 ALPHA 2?
new Unity, 5.0 version, featuring:

• Ubuntu logo/BFB quicklist (allows 1 click-away access to various lenses)



• applications' names are displayed in bold text in quicklists



• Keep in launcher replaced with Lock to launcher/Unlock from launcher
• when there are no focused windows, the Unity panel displays Ubuntu desktop



• option to disable Dash's Apps available for download via dconf-editor
• extra Unity configuration options via CompizConfig Settings Manager (change the Dash and launcher's background color, panel opacity for maximized windows toogle, etc)



• support to display Show Desktop icon on the launcher

Numerous improvements

• Nautilus received enhanced quicklist
  
• LightDM's Unity greeter updated with custom background (borrows user's wallpaper), improved scrolling animation, bullets instead of asterisks (when typing passwords), darker top-panel, option to disable dots (via text editing)
  
• Ubuntu Software Center adds now installed applications directly to the launcher be default (option to disable this behavior, present also)
• Gwibber 3.3.3 gained used resources optimizations and smoother scrolling
• Ayatana Overlay Scrollbar features new thicker, more white-ish look
  
• System Settings' Appearance renamed to User Interface, received Unity configuration options
  
• new updated applications, LibreOffice 3.5 BETA 2, Mozilla Firefox 10 final

Worth mentioning
Ubuntu 12.04 ALPHA 2 is a development version and not production-ready.

Download Ubuntu 12.04 ALPHA 2 http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/releases/precise/alpha-2/