So I’ve decided to try and go completely open source. I’ve installed Ubuntu on my home desktop. I will be using it to run my home business and do all my development work.
Installing Ubuntu was a breeze. Simply insert the CD, boot it up and double-click in the Install icon. Very few questions are asked and the important hardware was all autodected successfully. The only tricky part was partitioning the hard drive as I wanted to keep my existing Windows XP installation functioning (still not sure if I can move over completely). It also reads and auto-mounts all the existing NTFS partitions.
Now I begin the process of finding and evaluating all the necessary replacement programs to what I was using in the Windows environment.
I tell you one thing already… after years and years of starting at Windows, it’s nice to have something new to look at. 
The other thing I LOVE already is the simple Add / Remove Applications utility. Want an FTP client? Start that utility and it’s a few clicks away. The list of immediately available, free, open source applications is impressive.
