Ubuntu 10.10 “Maverick Meerkat” is available for download. We recommend you use a torrent as it is just out today and the main servers may be swamped, giving you slow download speeds, but peer-to-peer BitTorrent seems to be delivering good download speeds right now. This URL will take you to the Ubuntu Download page so you can select which arrangement(s) you want.
This Link explains the Ubuntu situation more as to where it comes from and how it can be free. This Link takes you to a nice simple page with a big orange button to push if you are uncomfortable making decisions about which version you need.
I ended up just letting the automagic upgrader do its work. The colors are nice and the new Thunderbird has a calendar feature like Outlook, but it syncs with Google.
Notes on upgrading
If your choice is to click the UPGRADE button in the Software Update Manager, it should handle everything in 2-3 hours for you. An Internet connection is required for this to work.
Most people will have downloaded the CD.iso file of interest and burned it to a CD. If you would like to avoid the delay of downloading every file again during peak download time, you can upgrade from the CD. BUT you MUST download and use the “alternate” version of the CD.
Boot up Ubuntu. Update it completely. Insert the CD in the CD drive and click UPGRADE in the first dialog box. Click NO in the second, or it will still go to the Internet and you will still have to wait. My screen right now says there are 1,752 files. I have 1,580 of them ‘downloaded’ right now. Your number of files may be different.