DJmilsy, how many pc's do you have? If its just the one then you may wish to have a good long go with a few linux distros before installing. I've know a few people to get itchy and end up doing a dual boot or install it and only to get pissed off in the end and switch back.

(The problems with Windows is publicity and convenience. Most people walk into pc world and get it and never look for anything else. Just happy to plod along. Schools mainly have it, pretty much apart from IT all workplaces have it and so most people has it as the next does, like MSN. As menace says the security issues is a good thing. But its down to popularity why Windows gets hit as its worthwhile to write for it. More hits. Linux like Firefox being open source can have other people working on patches or sollutions where as with Microsoft you have to wait for them to work on the list. )

If you have another machine or a laptop then that way you can keep windows and use the other machine as a guinee pig. Alternatively if you don't and the live cd's are enough then you can get VMWARE which will allow you to run Linux or other OS from within you windows machine, via a window and you can power off or swtich between them. Virtual machines. I even think they have a proper Ubuntu pack as i used it some time ago. No installing and uninstalls like you're familiar with, just delete and removed the program.

Have a look a the site below for some to download. I would say along with Ubuntu, Suse, Madrake/Madriva are quite user friendly with the kde environments. Shouldn't be too much of a shock then. Gentoo, Slackware, bsd tend to be harder than those. In fact Gentoo can be like building a cosworth from scratch yourself. Start with a base and compile everything. Like menace said, a shell. But a secure one. Don't forget as well as gaim which allows you to use a few instant messengers there is a skype download availible for linux. Which is better than MSN as it works every day. Think you will be suprsied at how far your RAM goes. And try and get a linux bible of some sort, that will go nicely with it and not only can you work through it but you will have it for reference.

http://www.linuxhelp.net/linux_downloads/

http://www.vmware.com/products/ws/