The apps that ship with Ubuntu are useful. You have an office suite right there that’s fairly capable, a decent (if not slightly dated in its methods) email client, media player, etc. Overall, it just works. Until you need to develop something. More here

Ubuntu, in essence, is the product of more than just the Shuttleworth-funded Canonical development team. Ultimately, it represents the efforts and desires of its userbase, who vote, argue, use, feedback and shape the software.