I've been using Mint for about a year and would highly recommend Ubuntu or one of the Mint distros. My wife likes Mint 9 Isadora while I like LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition). Something you may want to consider would be to download a few distros and give each of them a try to see which suits your needs.Go to distrowatch to check them out.

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I know that several other people have already said this same sort of thing, but don't expect it to work like Windows. Linux is a wonderful system, and I expect that you'll enjoy it. One thing about using Linux on a netbook is that things like wifi and screen brightness will not work unless you have a kernel that supports your hardware and all of the correct drivers installed. That is why you should use something like Jolicloud, Ubuntu Netbook or some other Linux distro with good netbook support. I reccomend that you try Distrowatch.com and search for netbook distros. If you find one you like, look into it further and see if it supports the Acer One in it's kernel. You could also install any distro and compile a new kernel, but that's a little more advanced.

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First step when installing Linux on a laptop is to have a look at these sites:
linuxonlaptops.com
tuxmobile.org
or search the various installation reports in Google, there are tens of thousands of them.

Concentrate on network connectivity, because Google is the one most important encyclopedia you need when solving the remaining problems. Also don t even start installation unless you have internet access on another computer for this reason.

Windows and Linux are different. I can tell you I feel as lost on a Windows computer as a Windows user on a Linux computer, often I had to ask another person to assist me in connecting to WiFi. And there is no command line I can use to search for things or adjust things they let out of the GUI!. (Yeah, there is the registry, but it does not contain comments like most Linux config files). There is a learning curve for both systems.

jlinkels

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If we didn't tell you about some of the setbacks, it would be misleading.
You would probably go buy a printer and if it didn't work, what then? Do a VMWare workaround?

If you notebook had an ARM architecture, you would probably go for some regular x86 distribution, and if that didn't work, what then?

If you installed the distribution and when you restarted the computer the monitor went blank, what then? This is could be because there is no xvesa driver and that your distribution lacks the non-free display driver.



Research first before buying. That I believe is one amazing benefit of using Gnu Linux. You learn your products better and know the type of companies with whom you are dealing.

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Is the network icon showing at top of screen, click on it and look for your network and enter key or passphrase.

tick box "available to all users" in wifi nnetwork manager so wireless connects automatically on boot.

I am amazed that no one has pointed you to the classic web page that is kept up just to answer this VERY frequent FAQ!

http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm

The article should answer your questions in much a more complete and readable way than any series of posts could possibly do.

Perhaps you can read the thread first?
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...3/#post4271924

Kind regards

Ok you got me on that one I missed the post - the citation is still the definitive article on the subject IMHO.

It also manages to be 'distro neutral" as well as avoiding any "bashing" of either alternative.

Actually, you missed it twice.
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...3/#post4271980

No argument here. I thought it was pretty good advice the first time it was posted in this thread.

"Like Windows" has two interpretations. "Look like" and "work like."

Look like: It's not too difficult to configure your desktop to look like a Windows desktop or a Linux menu to look like a Windows menu. As previous posters have pointed out, it's a bit easier to do this to KDE than to Gnome (especially if you use the KDE I think it's called classic menu).

If you search for "linux look like windows" you'll find a number of posts discussing how to do this.

Work like: The underpinnings are nothing like Windows, because the structure and the workings of the OS are much different, though, if you are familiar with the Windows command line, there are some similarities in some of the basic commands.

Just a friendly suggestion, if I may:

I think it's probably a good idea to avoid language, even in jest, that some might find offensive, such as "homosexual latte."

LQ has almost half a million members from all over the world, thousands of whom are active at any given time; for many, English is not their first language.

One person's joke might be another person's slur.

It is best to err on the side of caution.

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Yes but system doesn't recognize my wireless connection, though the Windows 7 that I also have on this notebook does.

Google is your best friend, go to google and type in "wireless connect problems ubuntu". I have very little knowledge of ubuntu but all linux is basically the same. Most of the time you will find a icon on the task bar to just click. If you don't find it, go to the menus and find something about wireless.
Welcome to the wonderful world of linux!

What router are you using?

It wouldn't happen to be a D-link?

If it is go back into wins and login to router.
Select configure wireless. Down at bottom a 30+ digit key will be in window you can change it if you like, my choice was to accept it, but before you accept it right-click on it save it to your ms word or notepad, then press ok.
Reboot into linux,
mount wins and directory where you saved key to,
right-click to copy it and paste as network key..