IT World published a review on Ubuntu 11.04
I said months ago that Ubuntu 11.04 wouldn't be the same old Ubuntu, and boy was I right. With its new Unity interface, Ubuntu doesn't look or act like any other desktop Linux you've ever seen. And, since I've seen almost all of them, I know what I'm talking about!Ubuntu 11.04: Is Natty Narwhal the best Linux desktop ever?
The basics are the same as you'll find in many Linux distributions. It's still based on Debian Linux; it uses the 2.6.28 Linux kernel; it still uses most of the same familiar applications; and its desktop is built on top of GNOME 2.32.1, but with the Unity desktop I couldn't blame you if you didn't recognize anything but the apps.