My thoughts exactly!
As soon as I heard some of the user-unfriendly details about Windows Vista,
I googled for Linux and started exploring. After Windows XP my next op
system will be Linux (not Vista). This time it isn't a threat. I'm going
through with it.
For some reason I also settled on Ubuntu to give a first try, partly because
of the active CD option. Download it and burn to a CD, insert the CD in the
drive, and reboot. It boots into Ubuntu and operates from the CD without
having to install anything, slower but the ideal way to start learning about
Linux.
Get a router for a firewall and you're all set. Most windows software works
under Linux using Wine, if you're worrying about losing your pet windows
program.
There's a learning curve like anything else. The nice thing is it's 100%
free, which counts for a lot!
Gene