Ubuntu 8.04, codenamed Hardy Heron, is a LTS release. LTS refers to Long-Term Support and Ubuntu will support this release for the next three years on desktops and five years on servers.

Before the official release of this version on April 24th, 2008, a Release Candidate (RC) version is made available to public. Its purposes are:

• Upgrade from Ubuntu, Kubuntu, or Edubuntu 7.10 to the Release Candidate by following the instructions given above.
• Participate in installation testing using the Release Candidate CD images, by following the testing and reporting instructions at
  http://wiki.ubuntu.com/Testing/ISO

There are quite a number of improved features with better support on machines, including native drivers. Users will find this Ubuntu Hardy Heron edition much better than its predecessors.

Another strong feature is probably the Desktop Effects, which has come so far since Ubuntu Feisty Fawn and improvement have been incorporated in Hardy Heron.

With a few more days to go, I am sure a lot of us are fairy excited with this new release.