I forgot to mention I am using Linux now.
When I got my new PC two month ago, there was not much of an option. If I can somehow prevent it i will never use Vista. And a Mac is just too expensive and lazy when it comes to Java updates. Linux on the other hand has a fancy Beryl 3d Desktop, a shell, regular updates and the free spirit. Linux is also quite hot.
I tried the beta of Compiz Fusion(merge of Beryl and Compiz), too. It sure looks better, but it has some performance issues on my AMD X2. But i can wait for the release. The reasons i choose Ubuntu are numerous.
- I already use Debian on my server (Ubuntu is derived from Debian)
- It is easy to install and offers a good driver support out of the box (even better than Windows XP for my system).
- I really dislike Suse because of Novell"s patent deal with Microsoft and it was my first Linux experience and i soon after installed Slackware because it was much easier to use.
- I have not considered Mandriva or Fedora, both are RedHat based and i just like Debian's style better.
- I am not political enough for RedFlag Linux and i don"t speak Chinese ;).
- I like the design. It may sound silly but i think design says much about the intention of a product. Ubuntu's design states "Hi there, I am easy to use and look like Greenpeace - so consider us good."
- Good marketing - e.g. Dell selling Ubuntu, a good growth of market share.
- Good community documentation around the web.
I installed XP as second boot option but never booted it in the last two month.