hello friends out there,
i wanna get on with linux. i have been using windows for a very long time but i want to switch os to linux. i found ubuntu and want to expore it more. i just got a free cd of ubuntu 6.10 and i am intending to buy a laptop online. i prefer it cos it makes me comfortable but i have a problem. i saw other derivates of ubuntu such as the xubuntu,edubuntu and the kubuntu. i know for the edubuntu its 4 educational purposes. i am interested in ubuntu but dont know which to choose btw kubuntu and ubuntu. what are their differences and which 2 choose best as a beginner

i also heard that linux doesnt support much hardware utilities on pc. maybe i would have difficulities in getting drivers for various parts on the pc i am intending 2 buy.

secondly i have never used a unix like system before. is there a difference btw unix and linux? more also what is the difference btw linux, Freebsd, and openbsd. Are they all related as unix-linux system.

would i really encounter problem when using devices on my pc after installing the linux

the only difference is what's on the CD. ubuntu uses gnome, kubuntu uses kde, but you can easily install the other DE if you want to,just via apt, the packaging system, which gets it from the net automatically.

linux is a unix clone. it essentially behaves in a very similar manner, but is not based on unix(r)(c)(tm) code. official unix variants vary just as much as linux does.

Here are the differences:
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/kdegnome

You may also want to read Is Ubuntu for You?

It's all GNU/Linux (GNU for the OS environment, Linux for the kernel). Gnome and KDE are just different desktop environments available for Linux. All are based on the underlying Unix X-Windows environment. The beauty of Gnu/Linux is that you have a variety to chose from. The basic Ubuntu distribution uses Gnome by default. Kubuntu is just Ubuntu with KDE loaded by default. I started using Ubuntu 6.06, but in 6.10 I became aware of KDE, and downloaded the KDE package using synaptic package manager that come with Ubuntu. Once loaded, it give you the choice at login time to choose which desktop to load (or designate as default, but can still choose each time if you want). I've gotten used to KDE, which give me a little more choice in configuring my desktop, and have found myself preferring it. There's a unique history behind each desktop environments, and easy to find via google or wikipedia. There is nothing to fear about using Linux. Ubuntu is one of the more complete and well behaved distributions. I recommend it highly.

...One more thing...if you use a Live CD, and it recognizes your hardware (also try your USB and serial ports), the actual installation will work just fine...

Does not really matter if you install ubuntu or kubuntu. The only difference is the dektop you get. Install either one and then you can just download the other desktop from the repo's and install it. Next time you log in, you can choose either KDE or Gnome as desktop. NIce really, talk of having the best of both worlds.

i recently downloaded ubuntu ultimate 1.3 and this package gives you the choice at log-in time to select whether to use kde or gnome straight out the box with no additional config required.

pretty cool really.