SuSe
I tried SuSe Linux 10 on my primary machine last night. They have this thing called a Live DVD. What it does is allow you to boot the OS from a DVD without installing any software on your computer. This means you can test your hardware for compatibility before committing to a full install. I've always wanted to try SuSe. The last time I looked at it you could only do the FTP install. I could not get the install program to recognize the network card in the computer I tried so I gave up pretty quickly. Even this time the standard Intel Pro100 NIC (on the motherboard) took two tries to come up. The sound card acted like it was not working, but every time the "no sound device" error came up, the proper error sound would play through my headphones. I'm not sure what that means.
SuSe also comes with some sort of support for EmacsSpeak. This is a program that reads aloud. I have come to rely on that feature a great deal in the last few years. Anything over a couple of paragraphs I pop it into a reader and go on about my day. It has enabled me to read 10 books all in the 700 to 800 page range known as the Wheel of Time. I have also started using it to proof read my writing. It is amazing how much better one writes when one proof reads one's work before one publishes it. There are dozens of packages for Linux that tout reading aloud. This one appeared to have professional looking documentation. I also know that Emacs has been around for a long time and has a wide support base. Wish me luck.
SuSe will also have a full Apache web (HTTP) server install. This will make my primary machine a backup web server if my old Clunky Gateway/Frankenstein box goes down again. Remember Rita? She somehow managed to blow the power supply in my old web server. It was not plugged in during the storm. I'm still blaming it on the weather.
I have a 40 gigabyte drive laying on my desk. I intend to use it for the SuSe install on my main box. This will give me an opportunity to test out the EmacsSpeak and other features. I look forward to the day I realize it has been a week since I booted in windows. I don't do the multi partition thing, so my boot will be hard drive based. I'm terrified of blowing away my current install by mistake. Thus, I pull the hard drive out of th box while messing with the OS install.
This is what I want to do anyway. I hope to get started soon. The more I know about Linux the better. I can't help but feel that the next version of MS/OS is going to really piss a lot of people off. Mark my words.