The Ubuntu Desktop gave me the easiest install of any operating system I’ve ever installed. After burning the CD, I simply popped in my test system, answered a few mindless questions — such as what time zone was I in — and inside of ten minutes I had a working and connected to the Internet. That’s impressive.

To do this, instead of the kitchen sink approach that, say, OpenSUSE 10.1 takes to software, Ubuntu only installs a pre-selected set of software by default.

The Ubuntu software pack includes such popular choices as OpenOffice 2.02, for office work; Firefox 1.503 for Web browsing; GIMP 2.2 for graphics; Evolution 2.6.1 for email; and GAIM 1.5.1 for instant messaging. If you want more, or a different program, you can use the Synaptic Package Manager to get other programs or plug-ins.