Leaving Windows behind

I have spent a happy morning installing Windows XP on the computers at the Youth Centre. Windows XP is really showing its age, in terms of speed of installation and hardware support.

The most frustrating element was the need to authenticate the Windows license. This entailed typing in the 25 character serial number, connecting to the authentication service, writing down a 54 digit number (because the wireless phone doesn't work propertly downstairs), and then writing down a 42 digit response number. And then I did it all again, because the serial number wasn't entered correctly.

There is none of this with Ubuntu linux, no scribbling numbers, no scrabbling for authentication. It Just Works.