Banshee as default music player
As Ubuntu positions itself as a world-leading free OS, users expect default applications to showcase the best free software available for each role; that is, they expect it to be user-friendly, modern and above all functional. Over the last few releases and especially since the release of the Ubuntu One music store, Rhythmbox has became increasingly out dated with its interface receiving no significant updates. The world has moved on - since then iTunes has gone from strength to strength and a developer driven, clunky UI is no longer appropriate in a music player.
In order for Ubuntu to compete as a multimedia platform and Ubuntu One to compete with the iTunes store, we need a music player which is ready to rock, not one ready for retirement. That music player is Banshee.
Putting aside all technical consideration for a moment, Banshee clearly has the best interface of any Linux media player. Whereas Rhythmbox presents columns of text, Banshee shows one's collection visually via cover art and also has a much less cluttered UI.
Banshee also wins on features integrating Wikipedia, the Ubuntu One store, Last.FM, Youtube, empathy, video Magnatune, lyrics and much improved accessibility (some via plugins). Its developer community is active and there is a lot of community involvement in creating plugins. Once its device support has been ported to udev (which should happen in the maverick cycle), it is also beat Rhythmbox in actually showing the space on a device is used and transcoding audio on the fly, based on the capabilities of the device; this is a key feature as it allows users of ogg, flac and other open formats to work with their iPods.
