Selfsufficientish.com

spurred on by Stew's discovery of the programme that allowed you to run Linux within Windows, I experimented, and found "wubi" - a small programme that will install linux for you............cut a long story short, I've been running the copy of Xubuntu that it installed for me (you need a fast connection, and LOTS of patience!) for the last couple of days, and am heartily impressed!
I've only booted into Windoze a couple of times, as I've got nearly everything I need - Firefox, Thunderbird, Open Office, Fire ftp..........I really think this is good enough to be considered a real alternative to the Windoze treadmill!
I've been very pleasantly surprised by the amount of mainstream programmes available for Linux - Skype works well, and I'm just installing Picasa!
Well worth a spin!

an update.............it's now been about 10 days, and I'm running Xubuntu as my day to day o/s, seldom booting into Windoze at all
Found these publicity films for Ubuntu which are fun - (especially the first one, with the splendidly batty librarian)
http://www.ubuntuvideo.com/ubuntu_the_library
http://www.ubuntuvideo.com/ubuntu_beryl ... istas_aero
http://www.ubuntuvideo.com/dells_linux_ ... l_the_fuss - Dell's view
http://www.ubuntuvideo.com/linux_a_wind ... lternative- nerdy commentary, but good~!
Linux does indeed rock!

Well done, Martin; glad it's going so well for you.

You might also be interested in EasyUbuntu. This is not yet an official Ubuntu application, but it installs all the media codecs and stuff that you are likely to need. According to the website, it is intended for one or two versions earlier of Ubuntu, but it worked for me (I guess this means I should say 'try it at your own risk', and do read everything on the website first).

The Xfce desktop is actually pretty good, though not as configurable as Gnome or KDE. I've currently got all three on my setup, and it's easy to log out of one desktop and log back on to another one. So far, I've decided KDE is not for me, and Gnome seems to work a little better with VirtualBox, so I'll prolly stick with that one.

If you want to experiment with the other desktops, open a terminal and type for the Gnome desktop, or for KDE.

When it's all done, to switch desktops, click the Log Out button, and when the new Log In screen appears, click on Options -> Sessions, and select a different desktop environment.

To uninstall, use

haven't had a lot of time to tinker since you posted, but now have Ubuntu and gnomes on the desktop.....I think on first acquaintance that it's preferable to Xubuntu, yet to try Kubuntu
Windoze.........used to use something like that.....
My partner in the business is clueless with computers, so I've promised to help him, and think that he'll probably manage fine with one of the Ubuntu stable - they really are very user-friendly for most tasks, and should be ideal for him

Ubuntu is the dog's danglies!
Had to boot into Windoze yesterday to retrieve ftp and mail address book settings - it's rather like going back to win 3.1..............SO slow to boot up, and pages slow to load - even Firefox seems to work in mud! I've got rather used to the almost instantaneous response of everything in Ubuntu - definitely a cut above the average operating system!
I've never been a great one for multimeeja, but Ubuntu handles it so well - click on a link in the browser, and you get instant music - so unlike Windoze where it "thinks about it" before condescending to fire up a plugin that takes for ever.......
The only question is, do I upgrade to 7.10 - "gutsy gibbon" yet? - very tempted!

You buggers, thanks to you I'm now installing Ubuntu 7.04 through Wubi to give it a go...

Well it seems to have worked - now on SSish from Ubuntu :S. It definately seems miles faster that Windows XP, and it's sorted out my graphics, sound and IDE probs that I had in windows after the girlfriend 'cleared up space' on the hard drive. Woohoo!

I've got mine upgrading to the latest version..........40 minutes of fast download, and literally hours of "compiling", but it's working fine while it does it's thing!
I'm amazed at how it just "picks up" settings for wi-fi etc, - as far as I'm concerned, I can't see a return to Windoze - ever!