Jafo - Thanks for replying. Your helping me understand some of this stuff. I do want to be carefull, don't want to learn so much that it start leaking out my ears!!       

It doesn't look like we will get too many more responses on this thread tonight. Maybe some more will add their two cents tomorrow.   

I used to have one of those propeller hats growing up!!!!      

I love Ubuntu and I wouldn't mind buying a computer preloaded with this OS.

The improvements in usability and simplicity that Ubuntu when through over the last couple of years are just absolutely surprising.
The only external driver I had to get in order to make Ubuntu work on my new system was the Nvidia-Graphics driver, and even that one I was able to get through Synaptic.

I think with Linux mastering one of the biggest turn offs in the past (the decompiling of software before it can be installed) it is ready to become a bit more Mainstream.

I wouldn't buy a Dell though.....

aufisch - Thanks for your reply.   

I think you would agree that you expect software would load and run on a new system.
The key work bing new!!!   

With you only having to go after a graphics driver says that Linux is ready for mainstream, as you also pinted out.   

As for Dell computers, well like anything in the market place you can find people that wouldn't touch them and people that have no porlblems at all.   

Of the CHEAP big box manufacturers, I like Dell best (ok, so I'd like an Alienware, but who wouldn't...lol!). But I like this shift to Linux for one reason: better driver support.

With Dells shipping with Linux and all of the work HP has done with open source, smaller market competitors are going to have to follow suit or fall further and further behind in an already crowded market.

Gideon, that is exactly what I hope. It could mean easier and better driver support. Even though my 2 pre-N wifi cards is a couple of years old, both of them is still unsupported by Linux.

I know why that is the case, but it still sucks.

YAY I FINALLY GOT IT INSTALLED YAY!!i took the HDD out of my POS HP and installed the HDD in my 64 bit system....it installed with no problems YAY!!!! i'll say this much, for a person who never ran linux before...it does have a nice easy to use GUI although it needs to be ALOT more like a .exe installer, a more customizable GUI, and more...themes but other then that it kick ass pretty good!

whatwhere - Appreciate that you came back to let us know how you made out.     

If you could, would you explain for the novice why you had to swap out the HDD.   

I take you were able to go on line and get the driver for you vid card that you identified as a problem?   

As I mentioned early in the thread I'm a Windows XP Home user, but could get interested in any OS that is able to be a creditable alternative to MS.     

I'm glad you have it installed and can check it out, but your comments are a perfect example of why Windows users have so much trouble with Linux. While it's an entirely different OS Windows users go into it wanting and expecting it to be "just like Windows". This is why I say that someone who has little or no experience with any OS has a far easier time learning to use Linux than one who has used Windows for several years. Linux isn't Windows, isn't like Windows, and doesn't want to be.

I can easily get a Linux OS installed, configured, and running on almost any machine in less than half the time someone can install Windows and have it running (including all hardware) on the same machine. That's because I have used Linux for many years and understand it. I would have a lot of trouble dealing with some arcane Windows registry problem though, because I am not a Windows expert like Jafo (who really knows his Windows stuff).

Go into it with an open mind and prepared to learn. You had to learn Windows too. You can do anything on a Linux system that you could do on a Windows system, and then some. You just have to learn the system and how it works.

And no, I don't own a propeller hat, but wouldn't mind having one (as long as it runs Linux).

Mason,

I'm actually going to try to self study for a Linux+ cert so I can teach a continuing ed course on basic linux at the local community college. I agree that someone with no experience would find it easier than windows because it is more logical.