hey all, what are the exact differences between Kubuntu and Ubuntu? like programs, etc. the desktop environment is obvious, but what are the smaller differences? I just wanted to know before I download one..

Thanks

KDE (kubuntu) vs. Gnome (ubuntu). Try a Live CD of each and see which you prefer.

For more details:
http://packages.ubuntu.com/karmic/ubuntu-desktop
http://packages.ubuntu.com/karmic/kubuntu-desktop

The application differences are largely GNOME vs KDE apps: Evince/Ocular, Gedit/Kate, RhythmBox/Amarok, etc. Other differences are less obvious at first. Ubuntu is the flagship version and receives more attention. Documentation is often GNOME-centric even in Kubuntu.

If you are trying to decide between GNOME and KDE, you may want to consider KDE-centric distributions other than Kubuntu. Kubuntu doesn't really do KDE justice. That's my opinion, of course. Unfortunately, I no longer use KDE, so I can't really recommend a good one right now.

There are other things besides the Canonical *buntu distributions. If you are looking for simple and easy, consider Mint, which is based on Ubuntu and also offers GNOME, KDE, xfce, and LXDE versions. There are other KDE distributions available, also. PCLinuxOS and Mandriva are two. Other posters will mention more.