Considering switching to Linux -- please advise

From: Rex Eastbourne (rex.eastbourne_at_gmail.com)
Date: 11/03/05 

Date: 3 Nov 2005 14:17:14 -0800

I'm currently running Windows XP on an IBM T42 laptop. I've been
gradually realizing that I don't really need anything that Windows has
to offer, and that running Linux/Unix would make a lot of my work
easier. (I'm a college student who does a lot of programming.)

So far I've read several different things on the internet. I'd like to
know if you could add to this list, or which of these is the best
choice for me.

(1) Get rid of Windows completely and install a Linux distro (Ubuntu
and Debian are the ones I hear the most about).

(2) Double-boot my laptop (it only has a 20G hard drive, although I
could get a bigger hard drive)

(3) Download VMware or Xen, or some other virtual machine software. I
am very confused about what a "virtual machine" this means, and whether
it is what I am looking for.

What would be the easiest or best thing for me to do with my laptop?
Any other ideas than what's on this list?

Thanks,

Rex

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