I like to change a distro. what I wanted:
secure and stable with not so old applications. I am on Arch now but I was long time debian user and SuSE too.
I look to Slackware, not sure about Debian, not SuSE, maybe FreeBSD...

Thanks in advance.

that sounds like jsut about any of the regular set including the ones you've named. the right one for you is the one you like most and we can't tell you which that is.. just try a few.

Debian.

Sure your first trial is good with a Debian derivative (MEPIS), how else would you know all the goodness and have a reason to proceed. Yet, I have discovered Debian can be set to and built to, almost any advantage the brethren produce.

Also, the Debian installer is on par (if not more scalable) than other fast installers. It depends on how much you want to read the help texts. Type "installgui" and remember a "netinstall" Debian CD is not for wireless. Just get disk 1. One does NOT have to install everything (Gnome) that comes on it. In fact, you might un-check EVERYTHING including "Standard" for a minimalist system; AKA low RAM. If you know you're a KDE only person; with the memory to handle it, get the KDE Debian CD.Don't just copy the ".iso" files to a CD, burn it as an "image".Much help is on-line if you have never done this. Ask a Linux group for a CD if all else fails. One needs a good burner and good media.

Here's the important stuff. Run the stable (Etch now) Debian branch FOR YOUR MAIN SYSTEM. Do all that testing, unstable and derivative stuff on SEPARATE partition. Also, do not replace your main system until your new (separate) one has been released a while AND you have also tested it for a while.

This way, you can play with them all, and NOT muss up your everyday; dependable, stable system. Etch is new now anyway, and just through it's First revision. This makes it good now; with security updates and stability. You can always use a back port or two for something you can't live without.

Be patient with ANY total software system. Go on-line (24/7) when you get stuck, read and then ask questions. Work through it. You will then be glad you did. Computer systems are not really very easy today. None of them. So go ahead and run/keep your paid for Windows or Mac (just don't waste any more money on them) try open software for free and you will discern that Debian is the lesser of evils and overall better than Windows and OS-X combined (to state it pessimistically). Of course, you get to make up your own mind. Just watch out for the monopolists doing it for you (to you).

I would recommend Fedora... out of the ~dozen i have tried out...
I've used it since RH-5 and found that with each new release; improved user friendliness, increased functionality and performance/stability boost.
With Fedora 7 and the merging of Core and Extras and the livna Repos you can do pretty much everything you want. You can even make your own spin of FC6/F7/Rawhide with an auto install with the Revisor utility. Yum also works much better now, esp with handling dependencies.

Your reason for using linux and what you are looking for can lead you to a particular style...

do you want to learn the internals of linux? ( compile from source LFS )
do you want something that you can get installed and up and running quickly?
Do you desire a community of users who help each other with questions/problems ?

distrowatch.com has good descriptions, package versions included, they used to have them categorized on a page ( couldn't find last time i was there ) but there are searches for categories

Trump card...?!?! Linus Torvalds uses fedora

http://apcmag.com/7012/linus_torvalds_talks_about

Best wishes,
VV

Linus also thinks KDE is better than Gnome, and that the GPL3 is some kind of communist plot.

I can offer several bits of advice:

1. Try Mepis and PCLinuxOS, as a minimum
2. Install several distros so you can test-drive when not busy.
3. Don't listen to other people's opinions on which distro to use.

Thanks a lot for help . I am not sure yet but Slackware - Debian or/and FreeBSD.