Is it at all possible to change linux distros without the use of any removable storage device(i.e. No usb stick, no sd card, no cd)? Is it possible to just download a file and install it and then restart the computer and be using a new operating system, or is that just impossible?

its possible in a few ways
but gotta know what distros and what machine, specs, etc?

if your system is debian based you can change only the package repositorys in the file
/etc/apt/source.list

if you want to change to debian squeeze you need to put:
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main non-free contrib
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/ squeeze main non-free contrib
deb http://security.debian.org/ squeeze/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ squeeze/updates main contrib non-free
(or you can googleit for the repositorys that you want)

after that you execute
"sudo apt-get update" (actulize package cache)
"sudo apt-get dist-upgrade" (distribution upgrade)

this re-install ALL the package you already have installed but from the new repository list.
afther that you need to knock who package are you missed, and start to install. lets supoose you want to change from Ubuntu to Xubuntu ; Ubuntu and Xubuntu have the same repositoris (so you dont need to change soruce.list in other words is the same distro with other flavor) but no the same default instalations package (Ubuntu install gnome-dektop) and (XUbuntu install xfce-desktop), so you need to run "apt-get install xfce" or install the metapackage "xubuntu-desktop" or something like that (Iam runing Debian so I can't check that, jeje)
Ahhh!! some thing: when you rewrite the source.list lots and lotssss of package well be BROKEN, so lot of hard work need to be done. And meabe (just meabe) your system can stop booting... so have a knoppix or some other rescue-cd is a good idea!

If you want Upgrade a ubuntu distro: ubuntu already have a program that make this AUTOMATIC and with GUI enviroment (but some times it broke something and problems are inevitable)

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OP is running stock Xandros on EEEpc

http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=89546

http://forum.eeeuser.com/viewtopic.php?id=89549

Quote by OP at EEEPC forum also.

I gave him a video tutorial for booting from Iso (Slitaz boot from Iso is in the video) as OP has posted everything from

to

So not sure what the OP wants to do.

http://lubi.sourceforge.net/

Lubi will install Ubuntu from an existing Linux system. No repartitioning needed.

UNetbootin may be able to do a "frugal install" of any Linux system - this is basically like running the LiveCD off a hard disk.

It's all a bit complicated though.