You can now run ubuntu right in windows with the use of wubi so you can run it as if it were a program in windows. However the particular distro you are asking me about in that link is NOT ubuntu per say, it is a distro that someone has created using ubunutu core, they have altered it to their linking and added some additional programs and removed some of the original ones. I know nothing of that particular distro at all never even heard of it so not sure how long lived it will be and be supported. Now to the real ubuntu it is widely used and many like it. I have used it in the past it is not my fave distro of linux. I personally use Mepis Linux to me it is one of the easiest to get set up and running and for people used to windows since it uses the KDE desktop manager rather than Gnome like ubuntu, however you can get Kubuntu which is ubuntu using the KDE desktop instead of the Gnome. I know that is sounding like a bunch of strange talk but it does make a difference. If you wanted to try ubuntu I would highly suggest this book it is the one that got me started and it is an excellent resource especially for ubuntu. Ubuntu for Non-Geeks I think his latest edition is 4, you would definitely want which ever is the latest one. I picked mine up at Barnes and Noble locally. The thing with ubuntu is they update the versions frequently so it is likely that what ever the book is for will not be the latest version of ubuntu. To understand that you can look at this wiki to see the various versions of ubuntu List of Ubuntu releases What I personally would suggest is that you get yourself a linux live cd what ever you prefer in distro, and simply just put in the cd and boot your pc from that cd and it will allow you to run linux strictly from that cd and never touch your windows at all, that way you can test drive it and see what you think then when you are wanting to go back to windows just remove the cd and reboot the pc back as normal to windows. That is the preferred way to do any banking these days because what ever you do while using the live cd is not saved to the hard drive and is much like working in a safe box. Here is where you can pick up a free kubuntu cd https://login.launchpad.net/JxWlf4vnC5G7sfBL/+decide register and log in and fill out the info for a free live cd. They usually take about a week to arrive.

On top of checking if add-ons are the concern here, I would also point out that ram/video card may be an issue here. While I realize that if we really wanted to Ubuntu (32 bit) only really needs 128-256 mb of memory to work. However, to make it run efficiently with firefox and so forth more is needed. Accordingly, one way to increase performance would be to increase ram. Slap another 2 gigs ( I dunno if companies make 2gigs any more) in there and it should work better. Furthermore, there is also a program called zram that has done wonders with other machines ( I would try this first). Beyond that all I can really say is double check for any viruses and maybe disable IPv6 if you haven't done so already. Lastly, viruses are theoretically possible on linux based OS's just very, very unlikely. In fact it is more likely you have a virus on your windows partition that is effecting memory consumption.

to actually install ubuntu on the same hard drive as xp you have to set up a dual boot, you would have to create a partition for your ubuntu to live on, which entails using the partition program that is on the live cd, probably Gparted, you then make the windows partition smaller and from that new free space you create the partition for linux. This is the most dangerous part because if you do it wrong you can wipe out your entire windows partition, so it is usually best to get help from someone who has experience if you feel you are not up to the task. Once you have the partition set up the rest is basically naming the proper areas for your root, swap, what ever you want to set up. What happens after it is set up as a dual boot system is that when you boot up it will present you with a boot screen that lets you select which you want to boot to the xp or the linux. I bet there is a linux users group (LUG) around you somewhere, they are a great resource and very helpful to new linux users, in fact most have an install day about once a month or so where you can bring your computer up there to where they meet and they will help you do your install. Look up linux user groups on google and see where the nearest one is. I have ubuntu 7.10 and Mepis 7.0 dual boot system on one of my computers. I have not upgraded to ubuntu 8.04 yet because it is still a bit buggy, I am happy with 7.10 so will wait a while till some of the stuff gets worked out, like all new distro upgrades there is that break in period. What ever you do before you attempt to set up a dual boot with windows BACK UP every single thing, if possible do an image with Acronis True Image or some image program, because I have seen way too many people come crying to the linux forums about losing windows, be safe not sorry. I love linux I am using Mepis right now, I never surf the net on windows anymore, for day to day use I only use linux. this is a link to a good guide. Here is a link that might be useful: partitioning

If you are adept enough to install a dual boot setup with Linux, you certainly know how to remove trial and ad offerings that most new PCs ship with. No 'deptitude required. The Linux MINT installer told me it detected a Windows 7 installation and asked one question - whether to preserve the other OS or kill it - and created the dual boot installation for me when I said "preserve it". If I had not resized the slider, Win7 would have had half the disk, and Mint the other half. In my previous Linux experiences, most of the distributions assassinated the existing OS without asking permission. This refinement makes Mint a good distribution for anyone who wants to keep an existing Windows setup because they have some Windows-only software. Yes, removing the bundled "crapware" is easy. But, how would you remove the LENOVO ad that LENOVO inserted into the middle of the installation procedure? Without borking the install? It was a pointy-clicky minimal intervention required kind of installation, which is not true of all Linux distros. Mint is worth posting about in areas where novices hang out . Yes, I can get Libre Office, the GIMP, and all the rest for Windows by downloading and installing them ... the point is that I didn't have to. They "came with" the OS, as usual. Unless I need to do something most users don't, such as video editing, I had not only a working OS, but a system that could do real work with no further effort. Getting more software for Linux is usually just opening the software installer and clicking "Install" in what you want. I'm not sure what you've accomplished is an improvement and not just a change. Read the threads here about browser hijacking and viruses and malware and bad links and google for zero day exploits in Windows and IE. It's definitely an improvement, and perhaps knowing there is a easy to install Linux version out there may help someone get into a safer computing environment. Or update the OS on an old machine to get a couple more years out of it? Or get the whole office on a single OS without spending oodles of money? ========== NOTE: I'm a long-time Linux fan. The last Windows OS I installed as the primary OS on a personal machine was Windows 95, although various jobs have had Windows on the office computers. I have Windows only because some software I have to run can't work under WINE.