Ubuntu

Im not a Linux Fan or something,
but recently I really like to use the new Ubuntu distro
as second OS.
Especially when I just want to surf, write docs or watch a movie.

Its really convenient actually, as long as the user
does not want to do some very specific stuff.
(when it goes to Freak-command line inputs)

So I'm really thinking to install Ubuntu as main OS
on my fathers PC, as he is not the most experienced PC user.
And it offers all tools a normal casual user would need,
without the instabilities, viruses and slowdowns as
Windows provides.
Its actually a perfect (free) OS for user who just want
to use the PC in a "standard" way (Internet, Email, Chatting, Docs, watching media)

How are your experiences using a Linux distro?

Linux is a great OS, as long as you don't use specific hardware. I had a hard time installing the Catalyst drivers for a Radeon HD 4750. It was nearly impossible (and I'm not that unexperienced when it comes to command line stuff). After an update, the drivers just went away. Re-enabling them crushed the system so hard that I couldn't even boot into linux anymore, I had to recreate the linux images from a grub command line (and THAT'S creepy, I tell you).
There are other things, mostly connected with hardware. My ScanJet 4700c (?) has no driver. Stand-By can be buggy, also some SpeedStep/PowerStep/StepStep stuff isn't supported.

But you're right, for the "normal" stuff it's perfect. It's fast, easy to use and stable.

Maybe i had luck with the hardware, works well so far.
But I think they do a great job to enable hardware, given that
the production companies don't generally provide fitting drivers.

I really only use Windows for games and development.
For the other stuff Ubuntu is way more convenient and quicker.

Linux is a great OS. It's speedy, reliable, and 99% bug free. I've got a copy of Mepis (a variation of Debian) installed on my "internet" PC, and it's great for surfing the web, handling email, watching movies, listening to music, and doing homework.

That, and the open repositories make it very easy to find and download new, free software; everything from mail clients to games. Upon download, the packages install themselves, so there's no fuss whatsoever.

I highly recommend setting up a Linux box solely for surfing the internet and doing normal home stuff.

Agreed. The package management is outstanding.

I'm a big fan of Ubuntu myself, and I think they're getting better and better at making hardware work with Linux distros. I also will try to develop my next game on linux, since it's just more fun. The only problem I see with Linux is that games don't often run on it, which is sad.

I convinced my girlfriend to install Ubuntu on her new laptop instead of windows and she really seems to like it, and even called it "simpler to learn" than windows. So for an average user, I'd really recommend it. Plus, if there's problems with hard/software, the community is by now so huge that it's usually very simple to get help.