That's how I've started out as well :) Dual booting between Windows and Linux. :) Now I have 2 laptops. One with Windows 7 and one which runs the latest Xubuntu :)

Bought the Windows one recently because I do like to play games. My Xubuntu one handles the rest of my computer needs :)

Here's what you need to do on XP to prepare for dual-booting:

1: Disable page file. Right click My Computer => Properties => Advanced => Performance: Settings => Advanced => Virtual memory: Change => check No paging file => click Set => OK => OK => OK

2: Reboot.

3: Defragment.

4: Resize. Use partitioning software on any live Linux CD or DVD. Leave unallocated space. Use actual installation CD or DVD to create and format Linux partitions.

5: Restore page file.

6: Restart with whatever distro.

Thank you, Tron. Will probably pick up a laptop with no OS in Dell Auction and then install one of those three, though someone else recommended Puppy Linux to me yesterday, so might try that as well.

Acer 8573 and Dell 6530 can be pre-installed with Linux.

I don't get the buy a laptop without an OS. At some point you may wish to sell/donate it and having a reload of the OEM OS would be a plus.

If no OS is on the laptop, then you can install it fresh. There are problems when you install one kind of OS or even an upgrade of an OS, atop some other one. My first Windows computer was actually a failed upgrade; the previous owner (who didn't know how to wipe his drive) tried to upgrade to Win98 from 95, and found it so frustrating he threw his computer in the trash. Janitor in my building though of me, grabbed the machine and held it for two weeks until he saw me again. Which was a good thing, since I knew how to wipe that puter of all identifying info, and install the software it needed to be kosher.

hmm, i use a repartitioning software on windows that doesn't need the swap turned off, you decide the partitions you want, reboot, partitions redone, it works well.

1. If you want to install Linux onto a machine so that no other system exists, just choose that option at install time; its usually the default.
There is no need to prepare eg format the disk or wipe out another OS; Linux will do it all for you :)

2. as above, most Linux distributions (aka distros) come with a desktop/wkstn option, which installs a comprehensive GUI over the top of the cmd line.
Try www.distrowatch.com; almost any of the top 10 or 20 are worth a look.
Note also that many offer a LiveCD option, in which Linux runs only from your CD/DVD drive and does not put anything on your hard rive.
This enables you to try it out before installing.

3. dual booting is possible, but takes a little work to setup; a separate machine is simpler:
a) set BIOS to boot from CD/DVD
b) put DVD in drive; boot from Linux DVD + install; remove DVD
c) reboot

4. for a business you may want to look at RHEL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux if you don't mind paying for updates+support.
Alternatively, Centos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CentOS is a free re-build of RHEL and includes updates, but no support.

Welcome to LQ :)