Thanks for the suggestion, g-c - I've not tried PCLinuxOS since I first started playing with computers. Seven desktops to choose from! I'd be interested to know which you went for.

I'm downloading the GNOME version, but can't help wondering whether one of the more lightweight desktops might not be better.

One of the things which prevents Linux establishing itself further seems, ironically, to be the sheer, overwhelming choice available - so many distros and so many variations of each. Part of the fun of it, of course.

writing over what had been my XP installation - that made me smile. - cruel - I'm sure Mr Ballmer would be deeply hurt.

Can XP be installed in VirtualBox without activation hassles? Or does that depend on the version? My blessed laptops have the Toshiba/Fujitsu version of the OEM installation discs - it'd be interesting to know whether these would work in a virtual machine. My understanding is that their pre-activation relies on their recognising the system/mother board - so it might just work.

I'm reluctant to actually bin poor old Windoze (it's been paid for, after all) - but so rarely boot into it that it's always weeks out of date and unusable until it and the antivirus etc have been laboriously updated. Using VBox would allow one to do this in the background while doing more useful/fun stuff on the main Linux installation - I assume. And it would save having to reboot the computer just because one wants to try something in Windows from time to time.