Operating Systems Questions & Answers
Ubuntu for beginners

What is the best Ubuntu/Linux version for absolute beginners? I'm talking only about the ones with GUI.
What is the best Ubuntu/Linux version for absolute beginners? I'm talking only about the ones with GUI.
SuSE and Ubuntu too are good way to begin with Linux...SuSE 10.0 is a very user friendly distro, but pretty much everything can be done through the GUI interface, so if you really want to learn Linux, you might want to try something with a little less front end.
+1 for SuSe, especially OpenSUSE. It's like Windows, use Control panel style for computer configuration, making it less intimidating for users to mix with inner workings.
Ubuntu and openSUSE are both good distos for beginers. Ubuntu will give you better application installer and openSUSE better looks. Both are available with either KDE4 or GNOME desktop environment (both of them are good, so it depends on your preference which to use). Some people suggest Fedora as well.
Just get Ubuntu 10.10, you wont be disappointed. You can download a windows installer so you can check the OS without changing your drive's partitions. I'm using this version for a bit over 1 month now and it runs great.
I agree with Balistic get the newest available version and it will all be ok :)
I'd love to say something good about the "Open Source" free stuff, but I can't. Free causes trouble, or at least that's the thought coming after some experience with free software.
Well the fact that you are getting a free OS, often seems not as refined as a retail OS like Windows (not that it is the greatest). The good part about OS like openSUSE or Ubuntu is that a lot of developers take part in it and evolves pretty good. If you install Ubuntu 10.10 you probably won't have any issues.
p.s. Free software doesn't meen poor quality, it means FREE!
p.s. Free software doesn't meen poor quality...
To be honest it often does. I use some outdated free apps, but the real issue is that everything evolves real fast nowadays and paid developers (and companies) tend to update more frequently. Just my 2 cents.
I agree, to use free software is a real......adventure, I just don't have the nerves to use it....I don't like the idea to wait for someone to write drivers for my video card (for example) :(
Open source is great if you have the knowledge and the time to set everything up, because in most cases it needs a lot of tweaking