Whereas previous Ubuntu versions came in multiple images, the new Quantal Quetzal beta features a single, consolidated Ubuntu image instead. There is no longer a traditional CD sized image, DVD, or alternate image, but rather a single 800MB Ubuntu image that can be used from USB or DVD, the project team explained in the official . Ubuntu Server, however, is still a traditional CD-sized image in this release.

3. No More Unity 2D

It used to be that users lacking hardware acceleration had to use the 2D version of , but now the standard 3D Unity runs by default. For those without hardware acceleration, the operating system will automatically use the Mesa 3D LLVMpipe driver to perform 3D calculations using the CPU. Unity, meanwhile, has been updated to version 6.4, which includes support for dash previews and coverflow view.

4. A Revamped Update Manager

What used to be called Update Manager has now been renamed Software Updater in this new beta version, and it checks for updates each time it is launched.