Ubuntu 16.04: A desktop for Linux diehards

Every two years a release of Ubuntu is designated Long-Term Support (LTS). Ubuntu 16.04, code-named Xenial Xerus, is the latest in that line. LTS releases are supported for five years instead of the usual nine months, but they also have less obvious implications. LTS releases are usually geared toward the enterprise, which means they generally include fewer new features and more testing. Both qualities are attractive to risk-averse companies running production software on Ubuntu servers, but provide comparatively little to the desktop user.
However, Xenial Xerus bucks this trend with a handful of new features and some welcome improvements. With the new app store, the stand-alone calendar, and the movable Launcher, Xenial might be one of the more feature-rich releases in a few years. In this review, I’ll start by walking through these new pieces and improvements, and end with a look at how Ubuntu stacks up -- in terms of installation, ease, features, and so on -- against other desktop operating systems you might be familiar with.