[69ConvertibleFirebird]

I've got my laptop dual booting between Linux and Windows XP. Yes, Linux, even the packaged versions like Red Hat Linux Enterprise Edition (which I have - costs about $70 at CompUSA) is a real pain to install. Especially dual boot if you want to share your hard drive between Win and Linux. Then, there is the lack of drivers. I can't get my wireless network up with Linux on my laptop because there are no drivers for it. I can put in a recent fix that packages the Windows driver but then I have to recompile Linux with that driver installed. What a pain!!! I would not go to Linux unless you just want to learn about it...

I have to learn Linux because NASA is starting to use it a lot.

[Terabitten]

I think you just answered my question about whether I should go to Linux. :)

[goldstategop]

Xandros has a short learning curve. 99% of the time, you click and run an application. Even installing software is easy, although you have to set up the shortcuts and icons and install them into the Programs menu yourself. But Linux is rock-solid, consumes little in the way of active CPU resources and is immune to the viruses, worms, malware and spyware that's the plague of Windows. And virtually all of the software is available for free.