[sionnsar]

Learning is not the issue -- you'd find Xubuntu enough like Windows you'd be comfortable in short order. And you'd probably like its advantages.

The problems are in configuring it or reconfiguring it: I am quite comfortable (and actually prefer) the day-to-day differences of Xubuntu over Windows, but when things go WORNG... it can be a headache (even for me) and there's no place to turn but the Internet.

And I have once in a while spent hours researching a sudden issue ("it comes up but there's no Panel -- why and how do I restore it?") that say that maybe Xubuntu is not yet something for somebody without local help.

Sad. It is SO close... Though I like it! I don't need the flash of Gnome and I've let go of superior (German) KDE; XFCE (Xubuntu) meets my needs. But until they fix the mess that is "administration", it's not for the masses.

[Monkey Face]

I now have “local help.” What I need more than anything is to get an OS that will take the volumes of data that I need to input without making me crazy in the process.

The frustration comes in not being able to afford what I need.