Jonny10 wrote:

Netbook new -1.66Gz Dual Core with 2 Gb RAM (10.1").

Running MATLab

Jonny10 wrote:

Running Power Point

You can install ms Office via an emulator like wine or use a native Linux based office suite such as koffice, openoffice or libreoffice to edit and create presentation files that are compatible with ms powerpoint.

Jonny10 wrote:

Online radio

It depends on the method of transmission you can listen to any flash based radio stations or capture auto streams through vlc

Jonny10 wrote:

Watching DVD's

To watch dvds you will need to install the libdvdcss library to decrypt the dvds, that library is available on most distros, but will require some research to figure out how to install it since it it a topic of some potential legal issues.

Jonny10 wrote:

Sharing media with my friends

Depending on your choice of distro it should be reasonably simple to setup a http, ftp or samba server to share files with others.

Jonny10 wrote:

Connecting devices - (I have a blue tooth USB headset)

The bluetooth libraries are also included in most distros, however you may need to check the net for possible compatibility issues with the devices you use.

Jonny10 wrote:

Running Rosetta Stone

Rosetta stone can also be run through the wine emulator (http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=1867), however just as with the other app depending on the version you are running you may experience issues.

Jonny10 wrote:

Possibly running Ableton Live 8

That app can also work through wine, check winedb for compatibility issues at http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=application&iId=2113

Jonny10 wrote:

Connecting to my desktop to exchange files

This applies with the file sharing that you previously listed.

Jonny10 wrote:

What are some issues I can expect in the switch? I have been intereseted in Linux for a while now. I would like to get into it as there seems to have major functional advantages over Windows - like less required memory for simple tasks. If everything is smooth on Netbook I will likely install Linux on my desktop.

The Linux based system do require less resources than windows and in general offer a more stable experience. The greatest change you will need to prepare yourself for is the fact that windows applications are not made to run on Linux based systems, some can be run through an emulator but the general recommendation is to find a native Linux based application to replace those apps so you don't have to continue using work-arounds.

If you are new to an Operating system it is still a good idea to keep your old OS to fall back on for features that you have not found in the new OS. I do recommend for you to utilize a dual boot system to start, the precaution is to install windows first them install your chosen Linux distro on the remaining unpartitioned space. The reason for installing window first is that windows automatically assumes it is the only OS and will overwrite any bootload on the system without any prompts, by installing windows first, then ubuntu it allows ubuntu to replace windows' bootloader.

The same bootloader issue may be experienced when you upgrade your windows installation, if that does happen you can consult your Linux distro's documentation to find the procedures for reinstalling the bootloader.

The primary licensing issue is with DVD decoders because they are using a hack to for decryption of a DVD, this is a potential legal issue because they are not using an officially purphased decryption key. The other formats generally do not have issues, except for maybe the ipod music format which is a lot of security tied to it that blocks them from playing on non-approved devices.

Defragmentation is only necessary in windows
Most Linux based filesystems automatically scan the hard drives between uses for corruptions and correct them when possible
Most viri infect windows only, in general the is very little virus threat on non-windows systems, but anti-virus software is available in both free and paid versions
spyware cannot install itself on non-windows systems
the registry is a window component, without it administration is quite simplified
PC speed utilities are not really necessary unless you are overclocking, but there are general built-in utilities for monitoring performance

In general the core of non-windows operating systems are pretty easy to handle if they are setup correctly, your administrative efforts will need to be focused on installing security updates which is easily automated on most distros.

Most wireless mice are plug-and-play on Linux based systems, if the drivers are in the kernel it will be auto-recognized. You will only need to think about programming if no drivers are available.