Tempted to Switch to Linux... any pointers?

[Chaotic Void]

From what I've heard and read, Linux is awesome. However, I've ALSO heard it's a little sparse on the gaming side of things, though they have WINE (or just Wine as it's commonly spelled) to aid in that endeavor. There's even an online database that tells you how well specific games will work on Wine (or if they even work at all). If all else fails, there's Dual-Booting.

So now I've got some quick questions for the Linux users (still a newb when it comes to this sort of thing)...

-Any specific variation on Desktop Linux I should use?
-Any particular software I should use? Open Office and GIMP are already on the list, but I'm open to other suggestions.
-Any other pointers for a newbie?

[eudyptes]

here's some pointers for you to go through...

[Soyeong]

I've tried switching to Linux a couple of times, but it never stuck. I went with Ubuntu, but for some reason, there was always some sort of issue with installing it. Then trying to get Wine to work was always a headache. I did manage to get Ventrillo running, but when I booted Windows and ran it, the people said that I sounded much clearer. I also ran into the problem where I was overwhelmed by too many options on which programs to install with no clear idea on which ones I should go with. Both my brother and a friend and Ubuntu users, which helped, but it still seemed like more trouble than it was worth, even though my brother likes to tell me about all the cool things he can do with Linux that can't be done easily with Windows.

[arnoldo]

I've used Ubuntu for the past several years without any problems. If you're concerned about software compatability issues you can always go for the dual-boot option.

[Chrs]

I've used Ubuntu for the past several years without any problems. If you're concerned about software compatability issues you can always go for the dual-boot option.

Dual boot.

/thread

I used to dual boot Windows 7 and Debian, but I've recently installed Ubuntu instead (my work required a huge pile of packages I can't get from the debian repositories and that might not've worked on debian.)

Unity (the default GUI) has a couple of nice features, but can be a bit of a pain to get used to. I do a lot of stuff in the terminal, though.

Ubuntu's also really simple, and can be pretty much used without touching a terminal if you don't want to, so it's good for learnin'