I've used Ubuntu since 2006, I made the switch after realizing I would never upgrade to Vista. There are definitely challenges in the beginning, especially the idea of "package management" is foreign to a long term windows user. After you learn the beauty of being able to type sudo apt-get install 'yourprogram' , though, you will never go back to having to search for a program on the internet to install on your computer. I actually have XP on my ancient laptop for things that don't play nice with Linux (my gps for instance), but after three years of running Linux I get hopeless fustrated with the hardwired limitations of windows and turn the laptop off as soon as I am finished.