System76, the creators of Pop!_OS released version 21.04 of their Linux-based operating system. This release brings many new features and updates, including the introduction of Cosmic, a dock by default with lots of customization options, the addition of “hot corner,” new window tiling options, tweaks to workspaces, and much much more.
I have been using Pop!_OS on my main computer for nearly two years now. I have distro-hopped a few times trying out other flavors, but I always end up going back to Pop!_OS. I have tried enough by now to have figured out that for me and what I do on my PC; Pop!_OS is where it’s at. Especially now with the added customization options, I don’t have to mess around adding in a dock or other extensions to get things looking and feeling the way I like.
Pop!_OS is clean, fast, simple to set up, works great out of the box, its also great for gaming. It’s easy to install. On the Pop!_OS install page, there are two options. One for Intel/AMD, and one for NVIDIA users, making it super easy to install without having to fiddle around with installing separate NVIDIA drivers. If you want the complete Linux experience without the hassle, Pop!_OS is a great option.
Pop!_OS images
The only negative/nitpick thing I could think of regarding this latest release is minimizing a window using its icon on the dock. As a former windows user, I just assumed that would work. It’s not a huge deal or a deal-breaker, but while writing this, I was trying to come up with some downsides or bugs, something other than pure fawning over how great Pop!_OS is, and that’s all I could come up with. I’m sure users of other distros could find something that they are used to that is missing or lacking, but for me and what I do, it’s a great user experience, one that is worth trying for yourself.