Linux for new ThinkPad

[onegurmat]

I am an intermediate user of Linux with a brand new ThinkPad R61i. I am trying to decide how many / which distributions to install. I plan to use the computer for Internet access, some web development, and maybe some light gaming. These are the distributions I am deciding between:

Arch Linux
FreeBSD 7
Debian 4
openSUSE
Kubuntu

I know that openSUSE and Ubuntu are both solid, stable distributions, but I am really trying to work my way up to an advanced Linux user, and would prefer a distribution that requires some effort (and afford some freedom) on my part. I am leaning the hardest toward Arch, but am not sure how well it performs on laptops. FreeBSD and Debian seem to fall somewhere between Ubuntu and Slackware, which may be the right way to go; but again I don't know how well they work for laptops.

Also, my ThinkPad runs on a Pentium Dual-Core processor, which I believe has a 64-bit architecture. Most, if not all, of these distributions are available for x86-64, but I have been told on one occasion that most 64-bit processors are still not ready to run OSs built on the 64-bit architecture.

Suggestions?

[denniscox]

... but I am really trying to work my way up to an advanced Linux user, and would prefer a distribution that requires some effort (and afford some freedom) on my part.

Based on the above statement - the choice is easy ... Gentoo