Peppermint is a Linux-based operating system that is cloud- and Web-application centric. Its developers say it is sleek, user friendly and "insanely fast."

Does Peppermint Ice, the new cloud-oriented desktop distro, have what it takes to do for desktops what Jolicloud and Google Chrome OS are doing for netbooks?

The only things that get in my way of enjoying Peppermint are, unfortunately, the limitations imposed by the still-under-heavy-development LXDE desktop environment, which, while I’m still pretty excited about it, provides a few stumbling blocks to someone like me who likes to have more control over his user interfaces.

It’s been a little over a year since I reviewed the first Peppermint OS, and while I liked the first effort on this new project, I’ve been really looking forward to Peppermint Two. Well, my wait was over as of last week, so I was able to kick the tires and get a good feel for it after installing and using it for a few days.

And it didn’t disappoint!

After tons of popularity surrounding the Peppermint OS release last month, today Cloud lovers get a treat in the first release of Peppermint Ice, version 07142010. Take a detailed look at the live CD, installation process, and popular applications in this Peppermint Ice screenshot review.

Peppermint OS is another unique distribution based on Ubuntu. This lightweight distro takes advantage of the LXDE lightweight environment paired with many web-based apps integrated into the desktop. This combination has produced a lot of excitement...

It was with great pleasure then that I was able to catch up with a couple of members from the Peppermint team and put to them some questions about Peppermint, their views on the future of the cloud and a variety of other subjects.

Just like previous releases this new release Peppermint OS One-08042010 is based on Ubuntu and includes the LXDE desktop environment with web applications integrated into the desktop using Prism. It includes many bug fixes, new artwork and several new features.

Despite Google’s move into the operating system (OS) space, the idea of a primarily cloud-centric OS is nothing revolutionary. Some current offerings present welcome alternatives to mainstream operating systems, packing in useful features and making it easier to access your online content.