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On the plus side, with Xandros now at the helm, it looks like Linspire v7 will never be, and Freespire will be redone to more closely resemble Xandros Linux. If you like Xandros and Debian, this may be a good match for you.

4) Linux Mint

While many people sing the praises of other distributions in lieu of Ubuntu, Linux Mint, which happens to be based on Ubuntu, has evolved far enough into its own way of presenting things that it is definitely worth considering.

Overall usability

To a more Windows-like experience for installing and uninstall software to what its developers deem as an improved update manager, Linux Mint is never short of alternatives. And this is especially true with regard to how you want to install software. Due to its Ubuntu core, Linux Mint has done wondrous things with regard to truly providing its users with choice for installing software:

1. MintInstall -- Thanks to Mint's own software portal, users can install applications much as they did back in their Windows days.

2. Synaptic -- Users of Debian and Ubuntu-based distributions are already familiar with this old favorite. It's fast, effective and powerful. It also makes installing numerous applications at once a snap.

3. CNR -- Now a plugin that is available for Linux Mint users, this Linspire/Xandros portal allows users access to both open source and proprietary software with relative ease. The only real benefit to using CNR at this stage is the ability to keep "software aisles " and access to proprietary apps that might be less simple to install via other means.

4. GetDeb -- A source that I use at least three times a week and donate money to monthly, GetDeb is a fantastic mall-like place to discover the latest packaged for Ubuntu/derivative applications.

Like PCLOS, Linux Mint is a volunteer-lead effort without any (or much at least) corporate support.

Pitfalls

The most recent releases seem to present a few more bugs than usual. So your mileage may vary. Because of the international base in which this distribution is created, using the main edition may or may not create legal concerns if you are wishing to distribute it with all of its restricted codecs intact. In this case, going with the lite edition might be the best plan.

Other than not enjoying the color scheme, having issues regarding its cooperation with Linspire over CNR's proprietary apps, there is not a lot to dislike.

Others not included

Now, there are other great distros, such as Fedora, a great distribution to be sure. But the Linux distributions above are the best set, in my opinion, to provide a user with a relatively easy transition away from Ubuntu should they want to put themselves in front of a different distro altogether.

Ubuntu has provides a love/hate relationship with many of its users. So it is a safe bet that more often than not, frustration with one update or a beta browser released into a ready for the public release of Ubuntu might be enough to get users interested in their alternative options. I believe this article will provide those individuals with a good jumping off point.

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