Ready for Linux? I think you are. Let's take a look at Ubuntu.

Maybe you've heard of Linux, maybe you haven't. If you have heard of Linux it may have gone by the name of Redhat , Suse or Slackware. The one I've taken a strong interest in after years of trying various distributions is called Ubuntu. You can go to distrowatch.com and view the various distros. Ubuntu is the most popular. The picture below is a screenshot of my desktop and all of the distros shown at distrowatch.com are free. My flash, java, multimedia and office applications work flawlessly . The time/date in the top right corner drops down to a nice calendar when you click on it. The bottom right has four boxes that are virtual desktops. That means you can have four or more desktops with various windows open on each separate desktop. All of the applications and systems info can be accessed in the top left corner and the panel at the top of screen has scores of applets that can be installed such as a search bar, weather, stock tickers, etc. Ubuntu is a single "live" CD. That means your PC boots an entire operating system off of a single CD without installing anything to your hard drive. That means you get to see if it's compatible with your hardware and if it is then you get to install it to your hard drive. You can choose to have your PC boot with Windows and Linux as I do. The install from the CD is minimal and everything else can be setup easily using text and scripts with the UbuntuGuide . Find Easy Ubuntu at the Ubuntu Guide to install Flash, Java, Multimedia and your graphics drivers. There is an almost unlimited selection of software for free. Fun and interesting things like Stellarium, Picasa and Google Earth. And don't forget the free Office Suite from Open Office and free VOIP from Skype. If you're interested in Ubuntu you can get all of the help and info you could ever need for free at Ubuntu Forums. When you're ready to try and run Ubuntu you can download the .iso file for free and burn it to a single CD or you can go to Ubuntu and have them ship you a CD for free. While you're thinking about Linux, take a look at how much more secure your machine can be and virtually virus free.

This is a screenshot of my Ubuntu Linux OS. My computer is only 1.5ghz with 500mb of RAM and a mediocre video and sound card.