Comment 891 for bug 1

Endolith,
Ubuntu is based on Debian. Debian focus on getting a distro to what they consider "finished" before release. Unfortunately, without the discipline a release schedule provides, debian has proven releases may slip to three or more years apart.

With Debian stable, most of the time, you would find yourself one major release behind flagship desktop programs such as Openoffice or Firefox. Sometimes two releases behind. With Ubuntu, the release schedule gives you most of the benefits of Debian, with a far more rapid release schedule. So yes, we are paying a penalty for the release schedule, but it is up to the individual user to choose what is right for them. You don't have to update to every Ubuntu release.

To manage this, you could:
1) Use Debian stable. Very long release schedule, but well-tested prior to release.
2) Stick to long term release versions of Ubuntu. These tend to be released faster than Debian stable, but also tend to be better tested and more thoroughly bug-fixed than intermediate releases, and you have fewer upgrades to cause potential problems.