Ubuntu.

I've been using it on and off most of the day. It's looking pretty ship shape at the moment.

I was worried this morning when I realised I might not be able to use msn messenger on it. However, I dug around and sure enough I can. I looked in Applications Add/Remove programmes and everything I could want to use is pretty much there. The file organisation is different from windows, but I don't think it's anything I couldn't get used to.

My one bother is that I didn't purchase the windows xp cd with the computer when I bought it. I thought I didn't have the money to do so at the time. So, the only windows version I have is the one on the machine. I'd rather not un-install it, but it occurs to me that I might be able to back up the whole machine on writeable dvds. I'll have to check that out though, I think I can do that through my acer E-management software, so I may not need to worry much.

I'd have to download files for playing mp3 files. But that shouldn't be too much of a problem.

The only thing that does bother bother is that my acer inbuilt webcam doesn't work. Nor, does the memory card reader slot. Ubuntu seems blissfully unaware of them. However, the usb slots all function. It recognised my mp3 player and my camera. I was able to play about with a couple of photos off of it this morning.

I wondered why I want to change os, when really, windows has never given me any trouble to be honest. I'm a cautious web surfer so am unlikely to pick up any viruses. I also have Norton anti virus.

I'm aware that at the moment there probably are few viruses for Ubuntu/Linux, but not one os is invincible. Just like real life.

I want to do much more digging around with this. I've also wondered about installing it on my other hard drive, as this machine has two of them. Then, perhaps, I could boot up from either one and have the best of both worlds. Who knows? I need to find out...