Apparently, a lot of Linux fanboys have been emailing Wall Street Journal tech columnist Walt Mossberg lately to extol the virtues of Ubuntu Linux (fancy that). So Mr. Mossberg decided to get his hands on this so-called “Ubuntu” to see what it was all about. Deciding to approach the matter like a non-technical end user might, he decided to order a laptop from Dell that came pre-loaded with the open-source OS.

So, what did old Mossy make of Ubuntu? “Even in the relatively slick Ubuntu variation, Linux is still too rough around the edges for the vast majority of computer users,” Mossberg reports. “While Ubuntu looks a lot like Windows or Mac OS X, it is full of little complications and hassles that will quickly frustrate most people who just want to use their computers, not maintain or tweak them.” Apparently, the lack of small conveniences in Ubuntu–like the ability to tweak touchpad settings from within the OS’s GUI or the ability to play music files without having to download codecs–proved to him that Linux is not yet ready for the mainstream. “The problem is, it’s a two-edged sword,” Mossberg opines in his video review. “Open-source gets you all this great talent but nobody in the end is really responsible for the product and very often, open-source developers have what I would call an imperfect idea of how non-techies want to use their computers.”

For more on the verdict:
– watch Mossberg’s video review (via All Things D)