Choices

[Sakuryu]

I am currently a Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit on my Dell M5030 and I keep getting messages from people who want me to switch to Linux, I was wondering what the best one would be for me. I like to game, Telnet(MUSH), use IRC, Use instant messages, email, and web browse, I tried Ubuntu like a year ago but it was on a very glitchy old IBM so I sold it. Suggestions? I've looked at Fedora, Mint, Ubuntu, and a few others but still I'm not sure of what I want so I havent tried them yet as I am short on discs.

[rokytnji]

Mint seems the easiest choice to use for clueless Linux new users. It should fit the bill for

Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

computer that wants to do

I like to game, Telnet(MUSH), use IRC, Use instant messages, email, and web browse,

Depending on your gaming needs (flash games or drm propriety games) Keep your Windows 7 install and Dual boot.

Good first time not needing a cd to run mint download is
mint4win for the Linux Mint 12 DVD edition - Linux Mint Community
read it very carefully and try to understand or ask friends that run linux to explain what it says.

Good luck.

Or go with a conventional Linux dual boot DVD install
Dualbooting Windows 7 And Linux Mint 12 | HowtoForge - Linux Howtos and Tutorials

[elija]

If your computer is big enough you could try the distros in a VM. It won't be on your real iron, but at least you can weed out the ones you don't like

[glene77is]

You could try Puppy Linux.
The Lupu Puppy Linux is built on the Ubuntu binaries.
Designed to run on smaller computers.
It will boot and run very well from a Live-CD.
No need to alter the M$-XP booting files.

If you do a "frugal" install of 3 files to the XP HD,
then you can continue to boot from Live-CD
and continue to pull applications from their Puppy-Ubuntu repository.
These many applications (such as Libre-Office) are Squash (compressed) files,
which are written to the XP HD. Very simple approach.
How many applications you pull from the Puppy-Ubuntu repository is up to you.
Thus the overall size of your Linux OS is under your control.
Mine tops out at 2 GigBytes, with all the whistles and bells.
Very small compared to my M$-XP OS of 8 GigBytes.

My current installation of Puppy Linux is as virus proof as can be,
and has Libre-Office, FireFox & IRON browsers, GIMP graphics like Adobe-Photo-Shop, etc. .

So, the question was:
You asked about testing the waters . . .
At this point, you are booting either (1) M$-XP HD or (2) Live-CD.
No need to alter the M$-XP booting files.

If you have an engineering background / mindset,
then my computer system might be interesting to you.

My main computer is a HP, 1GB Ram, 40GB HD.
Normally I boot off a pendrive, but can also boot off the HD.
This is a multi-boot computer, which will power-up boot the M$ XP Master Boot Record and then present a Menu for further selection of specific OS to run.

I have five Linux systems installed on this main computer.
M$-XP will present a menu to select:
(1) Microsoft XP-Pro (with my AutoCAD, and FoxPro.
(2) Puppy Linux, with my Libre-Office, FoxFire, GIMP.
(3) Parted-Magic Linux, with Grsync and Gparted.
(4) Ubuntu (Mint is a distro built from Ubuntu),
(5) TinyCore Linux.

(1) I use my pendrive Puppy Linux to re-boot onto my M$-XP computer OS chainloading via the HD Master Boot Record (MBR).
(2) I use my pendrive Puppy Linux to re-boot onto my M$-XP computer OS directly,
bypassing the Master Boot Record (MBR).
(3) I can do a normal power-up into the M$-XP computer,
using the XP Master Boot Record, and still have a Linux style menu to re-select several OS
such as Microsoft-XP / Puppy-Linux / Parted-Magic-Linux / Ubuntu-Linux.