Ubuntu is a community developed operating system, supported by Canonical, Mark Shuttleworth's company.  It's a flavour of Linux, meaning that it's open source and a completely free alternative to Windows. The Ubuntu enthusiasts I've met have always been informed and skilled techies. This led me to mistakenly think that given my basic operating needs (something to browse with and something to write in) I wouldn't really benefit from the change.

This kind of thinking is actually a problem Ubuntu faces as it tries to break into the mainstream market. While its user-base is growing, and the users it has tend to be passionate supporters,  it's  yet to be considered the best option by the average computer user. (Who are unfortunately likely to already have paid for a Windows system as well).

My laptop has been rocking Ubuntu Hardy Heron for about a week now, though, and while I've experienced minor frustrations, I can comfortably say that Ubuntu can be great for the uninitiated computer user as well. The system seems to be well thought out, and actually makes some of the more complex requirements (at least the things that seem complex to me) of running an operating system easier to manage.

Installing Ubuntu was pretty easy, as you just follow the instructions. It can be installed alongside Windows, giving you a dual booting system. The installer can also automatically migrate your documents across from your current system during installation.

My main reason for changing to Ubuntu is that it's less vulnerable to viruses than Windows is (my laptop suffered a nasty attack not too long ago). Which hopefully means that I won't have to deal with any viruses I don't know how to get rid of. 

Ubuntu also has a centralised repository of thousands of free software programs for almost every conceivable need that can be downloaded and installed at the click of a button. This is a great alternative to having to find specific updates and codecs in order to use certain programs.                                  

On the fun and useful side Ubuntu offers multiple desktops and the option to customise  the  appearance of your desktop and windowing system (so that's a girly thing to note but I've been enjoying the my red desktop). You can even get really geeky and add some 3D effects.

The only thing I've found a little disappointing thus far is Open Office (although I admit that might be because I don't know it as well as I know Word) . The predictive text is great, but figuring out how to use the track changes function has thus far proven frustrating (in that I haven't). I've also been told to anticipate some formatting issues when sending documents to Microsoft Word users, so am waiting to see how that goes.

In terms of adjusting to a different operating system,all the basic functions are similar enough for me not to have experienced a problem. Joining the Ubuntu community also comes with a lot of support, so there's tons of information on getting more out of your system, should you want to. 

All in all the change has been a pleasure, and while it's early days, I'm pretty comfortable recommending it. Free software with a worldwide community of developers constantly improving it is pretty hard to not to like. You can have a look at or download Ubuntu here.