Windows XP Professional VS Ubuntu 9.10?

If you can add another 256mb RAM to make a total of 512mb your performance would be much improved regardless if it were XP or Linux.

For gaming there is XP

For everything else there is Linux

Why Linux is Better

http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/

Here are the options for installing or trying out Linux

Option One (Full installation)

I thoroughly recommend Linux Mint 8 Main Edition which is built upon the outstanding Ubuntu 9.10 Its easy to install and easy to use plus it comes with much of the software you are likely to need preinstalled

Linux Mint 8 Download

http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=44

The Perfect Desktop - Linux Mint 8 (Helena) Installation

http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-linu...

Linux Mint 8 Helena User Guide

http://www.scribd.com/doc/23787138/Linux-Mint-8-He...

You download the ISO. image of Linux Mint 8 then you need to create a Bootable LiveCD for installation

Linux Mint 8 can also be run direct from the LiveCD from Booting up without touching your Hard Drive

Option Two (Install Ubuntu inside Windows XP)

Installing Ubuntu as a dual-boot with Windows without partitioning

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/wubi

You keep Windows as it is, Wubi only adds an extra option to boot into Ubuntu. Wubi does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader, and does not install special drivers. It works just like any other application.

Wubi keeps most of the files in one folder, and if you do not like it, you can simply uninstall it as any other application.

Boot in to windows insert the Ubuntu 9.10 LiveCD and you will offered the option of installing inside windows which is where the Wubi installer comes in, you will be asked how many gigabytes you wish to allocate to Ubuntu (I recommend 8gb) then you set a password for your installation then click install and thats it.

Once Ubuntu is fully installed upon starting your PC you will be given a choice of which operating system you want to use Windows or Ubuntu

Ubuntu 9.10 Download

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala) User Guide

http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Karmic

Linux Mint 7 has a similar feature called mint4win and the directions given above for Wubi can be followed (mint4win is not available for Linux Mint 8)

http://duncsweb.com/2009/09/27/mint4win-a-wubi-bas...

Linux Mint 7 Download

http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=38

Linux Mint 7 Gloria User Guide

http://www.scribd.com/doc/15884753/Linux-Mint-7-Gl...

Ubuntu 9.10 and Linux Mint 7 can be run straight from the LiveCD without touching your Hard drive

Option Three (LiveCD)

Here the possibilities are endless as you can try out as many different Linux distros. until you find the one thats right for you DISTROWATCH.COM gives full listings (second lists the major distributions)

http://distrowatch.com/

Major Linux Distributions

http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major

LUg.

I would suggest using XP , just consider this the drivers available by the hardware manufacture is even more compared to Win7, and the percent or the number of Business PC is still WinXP. I understand your case being a law student you need to keep a lot of preformatted office papers. Which using Office 2003 will justify, instead of using win7 that has office 2007 making using office complicated. Although i too would like to try Ubuntu 11.04 in my second partition and i have a MTS plugin, which Ubuntu 11 fails to recognise peiod. But libre office has one good thing it can read HINDI fonts doc file which Office 2007 even fails to read. Stick to XP you are not behindanything, if you can have the budgetwitch to Win 7 Home Premium instead of Starters. Home Premium has the option of upgrading to WIn 7 Ultimate, by giving a valid key, i can help you in that, provided you have Home Premium.

For Ubuntu:

Minimum:

# 300 MHz x86 processor

# 64 MB of system memory (RAM)

# At least 4 GB of disk space (for full installation and swap space)

# VGA graphics card capable of 640x480 resolution

# CD-ROM drive or network card

Recommended:

# 700 MHz x86 processor

# 384 MB of system memory (RAM)

# 8 GB of disk space

# Graphics card capable of 1024x768 resolution

# Sound card

@Farzan Saeed:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

But if you're new to linux i recommend you download Linux Mint, it is based on Ubuntu but works a lot easier and has things like MP3 support and flash player preinstalled.

http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=44

If you do not have some desire to run UBUNTU, I would recommend XP, as it would not cause any problem and run smoothly on your configuration. Of course Win XP is more productive than UBU...

Whr can I download UBUNTU ?

Anyways, I heard that Ubuntu is better.