i want to try out ubuntu since i'm tired of using windows, but i have also invested a lot of time in microsoft OS that switching and starting again is lot of work

so to those who have used it or use it, how is it. i know it provides its own free software but are they on par with those on windows. or are their linux versions??? does it have WMP plugins since i watch a lot of sports on online, news online like cnn.com or in shot does it support ms products

Man, I don't want to sound like a fanboy, but Linux for home use is not exactly what I'd call appropriate. If I had to choose one though, it would be Ubuntu indeed. Ubuntu does come packed with lots of useful software already, I BELIEVE it comes with GIMP preoloaded as well as FireFox and some other basic stuff, not sure if it comes with OpenOffice. Should be easy to check, google it. Open Office is good, but it's not the Microsoft suite, GIMP is fine, but it's no Photoshop, but then again you can't beat those prices.

So I guess my question is, are you familiar with Linux? I specially hate the fact of software installations. Want to install something? Make sure you've got an internet connection, and use the packet manager (think of it as "add/remove" in Win) in Ubuntu. If you don't use the packet manager, it is such a nightmare it is not even funny. WHEN you find the right download, you are very often confronted with a dependency issue, then you download that other software, but it turns out that for that OTHER software you also need another software. It's a total joke, and Linux will never become mainstream until this problem is resolved. I think the packet manager will install dependencies automatically now, but you need an internet connection and then again the packet manager does not have ALL software you might want.

The community is mostly willing to help, but they are usually too technically oriented. Ask how to install something and you'll get a comment such as:
"do a sudo apt get install wakwaka -xyz etc etc etc"

The average user will be like "WTF? where, what?" I may understand it, but the mainstream will never do. It's abstract by all means. If it's in the packet manager and you know what you are looking for (you might end up with an equally abstract program if you just download anything), then it's cool. If you need to download the program separately, good luck my friends. You might end up with either a deb, rpm, tar.gz, or whatnot, or better yet you might need to compile from Source (which usually is contained in a tar.gz). Wow, so user friendly. In a school project, I got a Server 2008 box installed, a mail server, active directory, DNS, DHCP, Drupal, and WAMP etc in about 1/5 of the time a Fedora box was up and running and up to date with the same services.

Anyways, rant over. Linux has its use, and that is enterprise/server side, running the software used for SANs, etc, in knowledgeable hands. Right now it looks mainstream, now it has to act mainstream to be able to taken seriously by the average joe.

I'm above the average joe and with enough time i can grasp how to it work

your are totally right, it is not as user friendly as i thought. it fast, unique, eye candy or cool looking. it is good for the basic programs but once you want advanced stuff thats where the problem starts

No codec for .avi at all!!!
No codec for mp3 files
No codec for other media files also
Default bittorrent client is the worst
Why should repositories not be all-enabled??

and its pain installing some of these software, i mostly depend on youtube vidoes for walk throughs.i'm still testing it, after a month maybe i decide whether to keep. i don't play pc games,i listen to music, i'm wondering if itouch can be used on it