Originally Posted by Bruners
seems like this thread needs more Arch fanbois
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I really like that distribution. I used it for about seven months but I have a bit of a problem with switching distros quite often.
I'm currently in the middle of getting Gentoo setup. Not sure why, it's such a long and boring process but it does run awesome if properly configured from the start.
On topic:
A suggestion if you're going to try out GNU/Linux for the first time, start with something like Linux Mint or Ubuntu. I also wouldn't recommend installing GNU/Linux inside of Windows as it will be running slower. I think there's a catch like not being able to access your C and whatever other partitions you may be trying to get to.
When you decide on a distribution, see if it has a live cd and try it out first. Not every distribution will require you to install it before you try it. Again, it's not what to expect with performance as you will take a big hit running from cd/dvd.
Be ready to search for answer yourself before asking questions. Quite often, you'll get replies such as RTFM when asking a question that's been covered in man pages or user manuals produced by your distribution or even already covered multiple times within the forums.
Also, while not always something that's an issue, be ready to search for any drivers you may need if your distribution of choice doesn't come with drivers for your hardware. Some distributions include a way to automatically download and install these proprietary drivers and others ship with them while others simple leave it up to you.
Another issue you'll want to look into before making the switch so it'll be easier for you is if you need codecs for audio and video as most GNU/Linux distributions will not be able to ship support for stuff like MP3 due to licensing reasons(Linux Mint doesn't have this issue).
Switching to GNU/Linux may seem like a lot of work and it is. If you're not willing to learn, save yourself the trouble now and stick with Windows. I'm not trying to say I don't want people to start using Linux, I just don't want them to use it for the wrong reasons and end up hating it when they realize they have to learn something new.
Just my take on things as I've been running it as my primary desktop for over ten years and keep Windows around for porting software or any games that may not run on my GNU/Linux partition. Depending on what you use your system for, you may find yourself never booting into Windows once you get a grasp on things.
Regards.