> I'm thinking about switching from Windows to Linux. I know next to nothing about Linux or programming. Please give me any advice you think I'll need.

Do some research first - www.linux.org and www.distrowatch.com are good places to start. Decide for yourself what you want from Linux, as each distribution will have different pros and cons. And make sure you know what the installation process for the distro you chose entails *before* you actually try to install it.

Most importantly, don't be afraid of Linux. This isn't 1996 anymore - Lniux is rapidly breaking out of its "impossible to install, impossibler to use" history. Which isn't to say everything is guaranteed to go flawlessly, either. I installed my current Linux system and a Windows system on the same day, and the Linux install was by far the easier and more painless of the two. But I hear tell that Dave is having no end of trouble installing Linux on his box, so my experience is clearly not universal.

Also, if you have no programming experience, don't expect to get away with hopelessly obscure or bleeding-edge hardware, since you'll need someone else to write the modules for it. Find out before making the switch what support there is for your hardware. By and large, if it's all from brand-name manufacturers and it didn't just come out last week, you'll probably have support.

If you have more specific questions, feel free to ask. I'll try to steer you in the right direction.