Now, now...

The Ubuntu Linux package itself is awfully
good and logical: download the Umbuntu ISO
image; burn it to a CD; then just boot and
install. It will autodetect most hardware and
install a good looking OS complete with a nice
selection of application softwa Firefox
browser, Thunderbird email, Ximian Evolution
as an Outlook lookalike/workalike, Open Office
for word processing, spreadsheet, etc., as well
as graphics and multimedia apps. Once done, you
have a fully operational, extremely secure PC
good to go for work or fun, which is the whole
point.

It uses the Debian flavor of Linux at its core,
and by default the dangerous "root" superuser
account is disabled. There is maybe a half-dozen
Linux commands you should know for system stuff,
most especially "sudo" -- which gives you
temporary elevated privileges without having to
resort to "root" and it's very simple and DOS-
like.

And if you are really stuck on Microsoft Office
and some other supposedly Windows-only apps,
I can personally vouch for this:
http://www.codeweavers.com

A few months back, for sh*ts and grins, I
downloaded the trial version on an Ubuntu
setup I was experimenting with, then installed
MS Office 2000 Pro, including Internet Explorer,
and -- get this -- was even able to run Windows
Update from IE! All on Linux. Not surprisingly,
Microsoft a short time later modified their
Windows Update software and the IE update
stopped working. But Office 2K, including IE,
worked exactly as though it was on a Windows PC.

Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbaya...

-BC