2. Long-Term Support

Just as Ubuntu Linux 12.04 is a Long Term Support (LTS) release, so too is Linux Mint 13, which is based on Ubuntu 12.04. That means the software will be supported all the way until April 2017--a key advantage for , in particular.

3. A New Display Manager

Also featured in Linux Mint 13 is MDM, a new Display Manager that's based on GNOME Display Manager 2.20. With graphical configuration tools, themeability, remote, automatic and timed login, event scripting, and language selection, "it comes with more features than any other display manager currently available," the Mint project .

4. Yahoo on Board