[Chris Marra]

Having been with ubuntu since its inception, and having used (too) many other distros, I can vouch for how simple it is. The new live-cd installer offers an excellent way to give it a try without any effort, although I do agree with Matt that you should use the alternate CD to do an install, since the live-cd installer has a habit of hanging on systems.

I still have a free Linspire CD sitting on my desk that I've never installed on a system yet, or a virtual machine. I have been tempted to try it, but what has probably skewed me the most from is that it is so like windows. Ubuntu doesn't modify the KDE or GNOME desktop managers too much beyond their basic style, and it really is something distinctly different from Windows and Mac OS. It's refreshing to get away from the same Start Menu, list of windows, and system tray style.

Try out the ubuntu live-CD for fun if you don't want to be destructive to your hard drive, or find the ubuntu zealot near you who ordered free CDs from them when the last release came out, and get a copy from one of them.