The upcoming release of Ubuntu 10.10 promises a variety of new features for Ubuntu’s desktop and server editions. But it will also bring significant changes for Ubuntu’s lightweight cousin, Xubuntu.  Here’s a look at some of the most important updates for the Xfce-based Ubuntu variant, including several that will increase its independence from standard Ubuntu.

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Mark Shuttleworth made some interesting comments recently about the role of the Wine compatibility layer in fostering the migration of Windows users to Ubuntu.  Shuttleworth views Wine, and binary compatibility with Windows applications in general, as a distraction from the real goal of making the free-software world “thrive on its own rules,” not those borrowed from the proprietary ecosystem.  I disagree.  Here’s why.

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You might recall that I’ve got both a MacBook Pro (running Mac OS) and a Dell PC (running Ubuntu). I’m in the market for another PC, and just received a friendly reminder from the PR folks at Parallels — the company that makes virtualization software for Mac hardware. One of my PR sources at Parallels tells me that the company has sold 650,000 licenses for the virtualization software over the past year. And as I work at trade shows and conferences, I can’t help but notice all the Mac users who leverage Parallels for Windows and Linux virtualization.As I weigh my next PC purchase, I’m leaning toward an iMac for my kids — though the Dell/Ubuntu system will remain my personal productivity PC at home. Will Ubuntu also land on my forthcoming iMac? Not sure yet. I’ll let you know when I actually make the iMac purchase and get the new system home.

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I’ve spent recent days praising Ubuntu’s simplicity. My $1,400 investment in a screaming Dell machine running Ubuntu was money well spent. But I also realize Ubuntu won’t appeal to all users. In fact, I can think of at least four key reasons why many Mac and Windows users won’t want an Ubuntu PC. Here they are.

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