I saw here that there are 2 versions of Ubuntu - 14.04.1 LTS & 14.10.
I would like to know the differences between them in terms of user interface, themeing, support, release date, etc, so that I can make an educated decision as to which is better.
82 Answers
The most important aspect is what you are looking for. For myself, I am looking for a stable platform that I can do my job on. Since my job is really unrelated to Linux or Linux Development, I picked LTS, which stands for Long Term Support. I want a platform that I know they will keep providing security and critical bug fixes. So I always pick the LTS versions.
If you pick 14.10, or future non LTS version, you will get the latest and greatest features, but you will also be required to upgrade your entire system more often.
Take a look at the Table of Versions to understand what you are in for.
To cover all your points of confusion:
User interface: Both versions use the Unity interface (it's not like Windows, where basically every release gets its new UI. In Linux systems you can install basically any UI you want to use.)
Theming: See UI.
Support: Ubuntu 14.10 receives support for 9 months, i.e. to July '15. Ubuntu 14.04.1 LTS* will receive updates and support for three five years since release, i.e. October '19. At some points in time, more minor version releases (14.14.2, ...) may be released. These are something like Service Packs on Windows
Release date: Ubuntu version numbers always contain the release date. 14.10 was released in October '14, 14.04.1 was released in April '14, but already comes with the first minor release (.1) (like a Service Pack)
You have to decide which release is best for you: While the LTS versions provides you with more stability and a longer time in which updates are deployed, the latest version will always support the newest software, which may not be available for older releases.
*LTS = Long Term Support
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