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The recently released Ubuntu 10.04 raised the bar considerably when it comes to good looking Linux interfaces.
Canonical, Ubuntu's parent company is putting together an increasingly impressive user interface to solve it's famous <a href="https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/1">bug number one</a> -- luring people away from Windows.
With 10.04 Ubuntu finally has an interface that looks great and "just works." But a good looking desktop and great hardware support are only the beginning. If Ubuntu really wants to help people escape Windows, it's going to need to offer the whole package -- great Linux applications to replace (and improve on) the apps Windows users are accustomed to using.
Unfortunately the best apps aren't always the defaults that ship with Ubuntu (or any other distro).
This is the first in a series of articles, one a month for the next four months, looking at Linux applications and how they compare to what's available for Windows and Mac OS X. The goal is to see how the rest of Ubuntu, and Linux apps in general, stacks up against Windows and OS X when it comes to popular software.
I'll be focusing on Ubuntu because it's target audience is ordinary users who want to get things done -- organize and share photos, edit a movie of the kids, make sure everything is backed up and perhaps listen to some music while they're doing it.
With that in mind the emphasis in this series will be on multimedia apps -- audio, video and photo apps -- along with back-up services.
To kick things off we'll start with a look at one area that Linux has an embarrassment of riches -- music players.
Whether you're looking for a player with features that puts iTunes to shame or just a barebones play/pause button, there's something that will work for everyone.
In keeping with the focus on Ubuntu and new users, I'll be ignoring things like audio codecs. If a music player doesn't support MP3s it's not a music player. Similarly the focus will be on GNOME apps. There's nothing wrong with other desktops and apps written for them, but Ubuntu ships with GNOME and KDE apps have a huge overhead before they'll run in GNOME.
-----Rhythmbox--------
We'll start with what you find out of the box in Ubuntu (and just about every other GNOME-based distro) -- the Rhythmbox music player.
Rhythmbox was inspired by Apple's iTunes app. But thanks to a robust plugin system, Rhythmbox is actually capable of much more than Apple's jukebox software.
Rhythmbox is the default music app for most GNOME users for good reason, it has all of iTunes features -- smart playlists, iPod integration, and several online music stores. You can search for, buy and download music and sync it to your iPod with a few clicks of the mouse.
It's the Ubuntu Music Store feature in Rhythmbox that's gotten a lot of attention with the release of 10.04 and for good reason; if you frequently buy digital music through iTunes you can pick up right where you left off with Rhythmbox. While the Ubuntu One store isn't quite as well-stocked as Apple's, it makes an acceptable replacement (Rhythmbox also support the Magnatune and Jamendo services).
So it replaces iTunes, is that it? Hardly. Rhythmbox has dozens of extras -- it integrates with Last.fm, it can tune in to internet radio streams, grab song lyrics, update your IM status and much more.
If you're coming from Windows and looking for something to replace iTunes, Rhythmbox is probably your best bet. Rhythmbox makes a good, all-around music player with all the features most users are likely to want wrapped in a fairly simple interface.
On the downside, Rhythmbox can be slow on older hardware, lacks customization options compared to other players and might be more than some people need.
---Banchee---
If Rhythmbox leaves you wanting, you might like Banchee. In fact there have been rumors afoot that Banchee may replace Rhythmbox as the default music player in the next version of Ubuntu. Whether or not that happens, Banchee is still a very capable music player and well worth checking out.
Banchee looks and acts a bit like Rhythmbox, if you've used Rhythmbox you can use Banchee.
In addition to features like smart playlists, built-in Last.fm support and the ability manage music on your portable players or phone (though the iPod support was buggy in our testing), Banchee offers Wikipedia access and can search for videos of your favorite artists.
Another thing Banchee has that you won't find in Rhythmbox is a video manager. Just like iTunes, Banchee can organize and play your video files. For some that's moving beyond the music player genre and into bloat, but for others it may prove a must-have feature.
Banchee is the kitchen sink of music players, if someone has thought of a feature, it's probably in Banchee (or on the to do list) and for those that want the kitchen sink, well, now you can have it.
Banchee's main downside is that it requires Mono, which means installing some extra software. It also may be overkill if you just want to listen to music without all the bells and whistles.
---Music Player Daemon---
For those that think iTunes is bloatware and have always preferred WinAmp or foobar2000 on Windows, meet the Music Player Daemon.
Music Player Daemon is what it sounds like: a barebones background application that plays music.
MPD, as it's often called, is popular with some Linux fans because it's a great example of doing one thing well -- playing music.
But of course you'll also want to control your music while it's playing. For that you need another application, something like the venerable <a href="http://sonata.berlios.de/">Sonata</a> or the <a href="http://gmpc.wikia.com/wiki/Gnome_Music_Player_Client">Gnome Music Player Client</a>, which offer the basics without all the "bloat."
If you're on an older system, or you just like to keep your apps lean and fast, Music Player Daemon is an easy way to do it -- it's simple and no extra bells and whistles means you won't use half your RAM just to listen to a few songs.
Unfortunately MPD and its accompanying control apps can be a bit awkward when it comes to managing a huge library of music.
--Other Players---
Still havent heard of a player that's music to your ears? Well, there are literally dozens of Linux music players out there. Here are a few other options well worth investigating: <a href="http://www.exaile.org/">Exaile</a>, <a href="http://code.google.com/p/quodlibet/wiki/Screenshots">QuodLibet</a>, <a href="http://audacious-media-player.org/">Audacious</a>, <a href="http://www.getsongbird.com/">Songbird</a> (technically no longer developed, but still available) and, if you're will to install the necessary KDE components, the ever-popular <a href="http://amarok.kde.org/">Amarok</a>.
So which Linux music app is the best? Well, that's up to you. There is no such thing as the best piece of software, just the one that's most suited for your needs.
When it comes to music players, Linux doesn't just stack up well against the competition, it's actually well ahead of it, offering features you won't find on other platforms.
In this case Ubuntu's default app -- Rhythmbox -- offers everything those switching from Windows or OS X are likely to want, but as always there's an option to fit just about any need.
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