Bootneck, Just my 2 cents worth, Mepis 7.0 comes with codecs already installed and is a fine operating system. Ubuntu has a larger support base and is more widely used. I ran Mepis for awhile and Utube and other videos plus DVD worked right after install. I later installed Ubuntu Hardy later just out of curiosity even though Mepis was running like a champ. Ubuntu took a lot more setting up than Mepis to get things right. When you do your install check out my help links to coach you through. I believe on of them is a video for a mepis dualboot install also. Just substitute Mepis 7.0 for the 6.5 that the tutorial shows. If you choose to install Ubuntu There are some good links in my help post for that also.

I would suggest you install the Gnome desktop version as in my opinion it is the superior desktop right now. I know others might tend to disagree with me but KDE 4.0 is kind of buggy right now. Alot of people are keeping their KDE 3.5 version right now.

One of my links shows you how to install software and the authors preferred applications where he installs software for what he considers the perfect Ubuntu Hardy Heron Desktop. I used it to enhance mu Ubuntu O/S.

As you stated hardware drivers can be a pain because software propriertary drivers usually are wrote for just windows. Linux uses "ndiswrapper" and "wine" to get around this at times and also like Owen said alot of drivers are being wrote by the open source community. I haven't had to use anything other than Linux drivers to get my systems working, even wirelessly. My printer which is a old Lexmark Z645 which is not linux friendly by the way, I got working in Ubuntu using Linux drivers with a bit of research.

Have fun with it and good luck with your install, just pay attention to passwords you enter and user names you enter. (Real Important)

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I’ll keep using Linux until they pry it from my cold dead fingers.