Many users get annoyed by everyday troubles that still affect Windows systems. Whether it is a failing driver, problems caused by poorly written applications or a virus infection, any consumer type version of Windows can be considered more susceptible to problems than a decent Linux distribution. So why not use Linux instead?

There are different options in the Linux space; Red Hat and SuSe are two of the most popular ones. However, thorough success of Linux has been prevented by the many differences between available distributions, and by the fact that Windows not only has a nice look and feel, it also offers the broadest selection of software. Finally, changing habits is always rather difficult.

Yet one thing can be said for sure: If you really want to try going without Windows, anyone with at least a small amount of experience can certainly do it. Some time is required to get accustomed to the distribution you choose, and to browse forums for information. After that, selecting the software you want to use will also consume some time, but again you can be sure to find something that fits your needs. For example, Open Office replaces Microsoft Office, Thunderbird takes care of your email, and you probably already know about Mozilla's Firefox browser. There is an open source solution for everything you might want to do under Linux - we recommend sites such as sourceforge.net to begin your open source experience.

Unlike Windows, most Linux distributions have a very modular structure, which means that you can choose to install a very slim basic system and a few, specialized modules only. As a result, a minimum installation does not require more than a few hundred megaBytes.

This enables a pretty interesting application model: How about storing your operating system, including some applications, on a highly mobile device? This is exactly what the Ubuntu H2 was designed for.