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I am wondering how big a job it would be to ditch my Windows XP Home Edtion OS and install something else. Linux? Ubuntu? I don't know enough to know if this is a crazy idea, I just know I am fed up with Windows XP and don't want VISTA. Of course I do want to keep my documents, photos, and iTunes. Any comments?

See those threads:
- best linux distribution
- Linux Distribution - Recommendations

phil447 wrote:Of course I do want to keep my documents, photos, and iTunes.

Documents... photos.. no problems. Linux has OpenOffice.org just like Windows... and Linux has Picassa (if you like that app) or dozens of other excellent image databases, and manipulation programs such as F-Spot, and The Gimp.

Apple does not release iTunes for Linux.. only OSX and Windows. This is only a problem if you have to use the iTunes store. If you are using iTunes as primarily a media player and for copying music to an iPod, then you are fine. Linux has Amarok, Banshee, Juk and a few dozen more excellent media players. Amarok (just one example) can work with your iPod, and is actually easier to use (in my opinion) than iTunes for copying songs to your iPod.

There are loads of options... and the best suggestion is to simply give it all a try. The latest Ubuntu (or Kubuntu) can be installed inside Windows where you can give it a try without changing anything on your computer.

You can reduce the amount of your hard drive occupied by Windows and allocate some or all of the remainder to one or more Linux operating systems. Linux has tools to partition the hard drive. First, you need to defrag Windows and make sure it's installed at the beginning of the hard drive.

Some distros provide a live cd so that you can run the operating system from the disk. Except for the very small packages, running from a cd is not as fast as running the o.s. from the hard drive but it will give you a taste of what you'll be getting. Usually you can install Wine or its commercial counterpart (Crossover Office, IIRC) to run Windows software in Linux. There is also software which enables you to run Windows from Linux.

As for how hard it is, it isn't. You will need to spend time learning the steps you need to take. Having Windows still installed should remove some of the tension.

Thank you, everyone for your replies. I can see I have some work ahead of me, but now I know where to start and what to look for. I appreciate all your advice to a newbie!

Just get another hard drive. They are a piece of cake to fit. Then you can do all you want and not lose anything. And if you get any problems you just use XP to ask for help.

I don't know what machine you have now but my oldish kit needs the drive master and slaved with jumper settings. A little electrical clip connector that you put across a choice of 5 pins in the end of the drive. The same end that the data ribbon and the power cable go on. http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=717991
If things are different these days, I don't know about it.

Unless the settings are clearly marked you will need a magnifying glass to read the destructions. But the hard drive should come with easy to follow sketches these days. Or you could ask the weedy, nerdy looking bloke (grossly underpaid hack, if you prefer the the PC term) to set it for you. It makes no difference to you as user which you want to run as first choice. You do that in the BIOS after installation.

For a first install I'd choose Mandriva http://www.mandriva.com/ and KDE (rather than Gnome) on that.