Yes, I'm new to Linux. I have here the multimedia suite, and Mozilla 1.4 / Opera 7.11 (says "Realsoft3D Ltd edition). I'm so fed up with Windows and IE that I'd like more information on how Linux can ease my frustration.

Can you define frustration? I ask because Linux is not a panacea but an option and how and what you use will determine whether Linux is suitable for you

depending on how frustrated u are, u may be in for a big suprise. what distro did u install? planning to install?

Does Linux replace Windows, and if so, are all ISP's compatable?

Yes, Linux can replace windows - it's all I use at home
And no - not all ISP's are compatible. Those that use special software (PeoplePC, etc) are not compatible as they don't offer Linux versions of their special dialing software that you're forced to use.
But - if it's broadband that you're referring to, you'll have a tough time finding one that you cant connect to via Linux - and even with dialup - most dont use that special software

>> But - if it's broadband that you're referring to, you'll have a tough time finding one that you cant connect to via Linux - and even with dialup - most dont use that special software <<

Yes, and to add to that - if you're on dial-up, go for an external serial modem instead of a software "winmodem" - alternately - if you're with broadband, go for an ethernet modem/router instead of a USB adsl modem. Two pointers which should help reduce potential Linux frustration

"frustrated" in the way of being fed up with a browser that is consistantly either needing some patch or fix, or that has suddenly changed my homepage, or that needs repaired in some way in order for web pages to load like they should.
I have reformatted my hd so many times I can't keep track, just because of little things like this. Not just in IE, in Win98SE as well. The straw this time was an error code saying a utility I'd just installed from the PCWorld website had caused a "general fault in kernell32"(or close to that).
I'd heard Linux wasn't half the hassle, did I hear wrong?

no you didnt mate. Sure, it can be a pain sometimes, but at least you know whatever is going on is your fault. =P. Really, the only issue is hardware. But even thats starting to fade away.

Not to mention - once you get it working, it doesn't mess itself up.

as a linux newbie ill tell you my story and hope that it helps you a bit.

i am moving away from M$ (mind you i know the M$ server side very well and i do networking as a part time gig) because of a lot of things that M$ is forcing on its customers. at my house i run 2 winXP pro boxes. 1 for gaming, the other or media center and lite gaming for my 8yr daughter. all the rest of my computers at the house are linux boxes. either RH9 or Whitebox3. i use XP exclusivly for gaming now and hardly browse with it or do any 'work' on it.

at my office i still have 1 win2k server, and 1 winXP workstation. my 3rd box is a RH9 system that is my POS(point of sale) box. it runs rdesktop and connects to my win2k server to access QuickBooks Pro for all my business.

my goal at the school is to replace everything windows with linux over the next year or so as i learn more about how to manage and network linux. i still have a long ways to go, but im getting more and more comfortable with it every day.

i am now down to 2 things keeping me from moving over to 100% linux at the school.

1. full set of drivers for my all in one HP printer/scanner/fax/copier/card reader USB connection device

2. replacement for Pagemaker 7.0 sadly it will not run in crossover office and i need that app for 90% of the flyers, schedules, etc. that i use at my business.

as far as ISPs are concerned. avoid things like AOL, CompuServ, PeoplePC, Netzero as they all required specific 3rd party software to connect to them. this can/will cause problems with linux as most of those ISPs do not provide support or software for linux owners.

also just to restate about getting an external 56k modem vs a winmodem (keep in mind you can still find 56k PCI modems that are NOT winmodems, those would work just as well) and to avoid USB highspeed modems for xDSL/Cable and to stick with RJ45 (network card) based modems.

the only thing that linux does not do as well and better then windows is games. if all you do is basic microsoft office and browse the web, then by all means move away from the crash cash cow and move to something far more stable. if you do a lot of gaming, then you might want to dual boot for so you can access your games still. games are the only reason i even have a windows system left at the house. that and the fact i dont know enough about linux yet to setup a media center on it.

You are definitely a candidate for Linux. I moved for the same reason 2 years ago (cannot believe it's that long ago). I have a partition with '98 on it purely for games but seldom use it because everytime I go into it there is some kind of problem which drives me mad. I get so mad I forget why I went in there in the first place. I have my original Debian Woody installation on a partition from 2 years ago (as a backup) and mostly work with Debian Sarge. Have never had a system crash in the 2 years. I run 3 systems including an Internet Server (Debian Woody) which has an uptime of 3 months.
A word of caution though; it is a steep learning curve from M$ because you have to get used to new concepts and ways of working. My personal suggestion is try a live CD version like Knoppix 1st, to get used to the feel. Do an install of Mandrake and work with that for a while and once you get the hang of the system go to one of the slicker versions like Debian or Slack because they will give you better control and speed. They do require a lot more knowledge of Linux though. I love my Debian systems because of the packaging and because it so easy to customise. I have a 9 year old son who has M$ at school but prefers working with the Linux system at home and will tell anyone who will listen that Linux kicks ass.
Most importantly there are lots of people out there who will help (like right here). The closest support you get from M$ is some kind of garbled help file.