Here's a repository that makes it easy: [omgubuntu.co.uk]

If you install X11 from your OSX disk or from Apple.com, you can run almost any native Linux app, because OSX IS *nix at its core. Check out how to install X11 and Fink on your Mac, and it'll make it much more powerful with more tools at your disposal.

Lol, I can understand that. It's easier for the typical 'parent' type, but for those who know how to use a keyboard...

PortableApps or YuMi are great. I just lost most of my flash drives, so I'm going to go buy a 16 after reading this again, lol.

It's not illegal - they're not selling the medium, only the license to use the product.

Ditto. This is a horrible idea.

Me too! It was fantastic at my old job to be able to use Firefox.

I think you're looking more for a site like this: [hackaday.com]

Yeah, I hated those, especially when Portable Apps is so much better:

[www.pendrivelinux.com] This may work. For the windows utils, you could try TinyXP.

This can be disabled in the BIOS, under "Action Keys Mode". I'm typing this on an HP DM4 with the same feature.

Yep, both sides of the fence just need to get fired. Replace them all with thirty-somethings who are at the top of their fields in Science, Education, Medicine, and Agriculture. Watch how things change.

....way to use lots of punctuation?

Hearted.

There's plenty of other environments out there :) I'm going to try unity for a day or two, but I prefer gnome 3 after some tweaks. there's also gnome 2, if you prefer that.

That's about the biggest problem with 'nix in general. Then again, Windows 7 doesn't like my integrated webcam much, because of HP's bloated driverset...

Ubuntu is the best, in my opinion. Remember, it's endlessly customizable. You can make it behave any way you want.

There is sometimes a really simple fix for that. On my HP, it was just that the brightness was turned all the way down on reboot. The brightness hotkeys fixed it for me (on every boot... but it worked!)

Same here. Gnome 3 is my favorite. It works the way I think.

do you mean certified manufacturers? There are several: