jamius.com

it is a tool that we need !

Well for OLD machines, i reccomend some small ubuntu distos, like DamnSmallLinux, or Puppy.
I was using Puppy and i was happy about it Its copyin into RAM and run pretty nice.. u can save session into USB flash disk, or any other mounted units.

Bout notSoOld but messy, well i recommend some older things, like LinuxSUSE, ArchLinux maybe too..

On almostNew i reccomend ubutnu maverick meercat 10.10 ! i am using it right now,
its have a preet nice gnome interface, very powerfull, very elastic,

On brand new eqiupment - for today (2011) i reccomend ubuntu 11.04 it is having some "mobile phone look like design" so its easiest, and have a new graphical engine caled 'unity'

u cann google and download all these systemz, its legal, and free,
but while u dont have windows u can have some device difficulities, for example i cannot print on my two printers becouse i was so unlocky to have two models that is not having linux drivers ;/ but for most of things u will have drivers, specially when its is popular.

Why i am talking about linux only? well, i was ..anoyed by bluescreens, viruses and PLEASE WAIT or ERRORs things on windows, so i kicked it out from my computers, and i am using linux. well after few years in linux i am happy and so legal and free.

ps U can run most of programs and games if u have proper drivers and good parts, - from windows - at linux , just install in linux application "wine" , u cann google it with "hq wine download"

good luck.

(ps. u can run every distibution of linux live - from CD or DVD without installing, it will be slower - depending on ur dvdrom speed- but u can test if everything is working before u wonna switch to linux,
ps.2
u can also install windows and linux on same disk, remmember to install windows first, then install linux - a disk manager will take a free space on disk (u can change every single option) to create a linux partition in linux like ubuntu10.10 there is easy menu that will tell u what to do every single step. in ur language.
have fun .

I am a Fedora user and like the new GNOME 3 desktop, which similar to unity. I have never used ubuntu but I have heard good things about it and actually interact with people that work for the company that distributes it.

I originally tried linux pretty early on, around 92 or 93. Configuration and compatibility was a pain. These days most things just work with it and I highly recommend it. You can't beat the price.

How I decided to transition from windows was by putting Linux on a separate system and using it to see if I ever needed to us windows. Initially I needed it for some music player support, but that is no longer true.

Linux will do what most people want and doesn't have all the virus issues.

I'm going back to Linux, finally. Used to use it a few years ago, then ended up doing Apple for a while. I like the Mac stuff because they're so quiet! But after having had a couple machines with weird problems, I'm back to needing a "home base" small desktop. So I ordered a little miniature Linux box with the latest Ubuntu - quiet, low power consumption, etc.