Focused on cloud-based netbooks, Jolicloud aspires toward extreme user-friendliness so that any computer user can install it with just one click. Besides the standard .ISO image, the distribution is also provided as a Windows executable file that can resize an existing Windows partition and install Jolicloud as an alternative operating system. Jolicloud is heavily oriented towards Web applications and services.
A Multimedia Focus: Ubuntu Studio and Mythbuntu
Ubuntu Studio is a variant of Ubuntu aimed at audio, video and graphics professionals. Accordingly, it includes a collection of open source applications for multimedia creation.
Mythbuntu, on the other hand, uses the Xfce desktop and focuses on setting up a standalone MythTV-based PVR system.
For Education: Edubuntu
Edubuntu is designed to be suitable for classroom use, enabling an educator with limited technical knowledge and skill to set up and administer a computer lab or online learning environment in an hour or less without having to become a Linux expert.
A Different Desktop: Kubuntu and Netrunner
Whereas Ubuntu has always shipped with the GNOME desktop interface by default, Kubuntu and Netrunner are both variations that use the KDE desktop instead. The differences are mainly cosmetic, but you may find you prefer KDE, which uses more blues and grays than GNOME's purples.
In short, Ubuntu is a great Linux distribution for both business and home users, but part of the beauty of Linux is the wealth of choices available and the ease of trying them out. If your business has specific needs--or if there's anything you'd like to change in Ubuntu--one of these variants might be just the ticket.
Follow Katherine Noyes on Twitter: @Noyesk.
