What is the operation system?

i am currently using windows xp professional on my desktop. im planning to buy a laptop and i want to install a linux in it because i have never used one before and would just like to try it.

I use windows: (trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn Microsoft Windows is a range of closed source proprietary commercial operating environments for personal computers and servers. The range was first introduced by Microsoft in 1985 and eventually has come to dominate the world personal computer market. All recent versions of Windows are fully-fledged operating systems. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_(OS) A window is a visual area, usually rectangular in shape, containing some kind of user interface, displaying the the output of and allowing input for one of a number of simultaneously running computer processes. Windows are primarily associated with graphical displays, where they can be manipulated with a pointer. However, many programs with text user interfaces, for example Emacs, allow their display to be divided into areas which may also be referred to as "windows". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_(computing) Windows is software that typically runs on IBM compatible microcomputers, before the Windows 95 system, it ran "on top of" DOS. Since many Internet applications incorporate or use a graphical presentation, people tend to be happier running Internet applications under Windows, rather than just DOS. www.wyla.org/workshops/printer_friendly/terms.shtml A family of operating systems for personal computers, Windows dominates the personal computer world, running, by some estimates, on 90% of all personal computers. Like the Macintosh operating environment, Windows provides a graphical user interface (GUI), virtual memory management, multitasking, and support for many peripheral devices. In addition to Windows 3. ... www.course.com/careers/glossary/operating.cfm The Microsoft Windows Operating system, which runs on DOS-based PCs. www.7designavenue.com/glossary.htm A widespread operating system from Microsoft, used on approximately 80% of all PCs. www.micro2000uk.co.uk/hardware_glossary.htm New window technology that lowers the amount of energy loss through windows by inhibiting the transmission of radiant heat while still allowing sufficient light to pass through. www.p2pays.org/ref/01/text/0040221.htm A GUI for PCs produced by Microsoft. www.christlinks.com/glossary2.html An operating system designed by Microsoft. Most home users use Windows 98 or the earlier Windows 95 or the brand new Windows ME. Most business users use Windows NT or Windows 2000. We’ll focus on Windows 98 and Windows ME in this series. Wintel A computer that contains an Intel (or compatible) microprocessor and which runs Microsoft Windows. That’s almost 90 percent of the personal computers in the world. ... www.geekgirls.com/absolute_beginners_jargon.htm Windows 98/ME/XP, Pentium CPU, 32 MB RAM. www.eti.uva.nl/products/catalogue/cd_detail.php Windows(http://www.microsoft.com/windows/default.mspx) is a commercial operating system developed by the Microsoft corporation(http://www.microsoft.com) for use on personal computers. www.bized.ac.uk/educators/16-19/business/marketing/lesson/sup_glossary.htm The generic name for the Microsoft family of operating systems. www.indra.com/support/glossary.html Is Microsofts's line of GUI OS. The Windows line includes Windows 3.x, Windows 95, 98, 2000 and NT. This also refers to any subscreen (child) in a GUI UI. This term is often used to refer to a UNIX system with XWINDOWS. www.oasismanagement.com/frames/TECHNOLOGY/GLOSSARY/w.html Commonly refers to Microsoft's computer operating system which runs on 90% of all desktop computers. www.intoweb.co.za/it-terms.php The name for any of the graphical, mouse-oriented operating systems from Microsoft, available in different forms and versions for desktop computers (Windows 95 and 98), workstations (Windows NT Workstation), and network servers (Windows NT/2000 Server). www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/visio/visio2002/plan/glossary.mspx Windows is the Operating System (OS) developed by Microsoft. The Windows source code is proprietary, meaning that only Microsoft programmers have access to the underlining programming code. Linux for example is a community driven Operating system allowing everyone to contribute. www.intensedevelopment.net/website-design-W.html a GUI created by Microsoft. The first version of Windows was a GUI that ran on top of DOS, not a true operating system. Windows 2.0, later split into Windows/286 and Windows/386, also was an operating shell, still not an OS, and still didn't sell that well. Windows 3.0 was the first version to sell, but also was an operating shell that ran on top of DOS. ... www.asimweb.org/computers/glossary.html Microsoft operating systems. Standard PC systems are known as “Windows,” business server software is known as “NT” and handheld OS-lite is referred to as “WinCE” or “CE.” ospa.utdallas.edu/Publications/VIG/13tech.htm Microsoft’s PC architecture, based on a graphical user interface (GUI) like the Apple Macintosh. www.qeiicc.co.uk/organising_an_event/av/glossary A representation of a file or program created for low storage, easy access to the parent document. www.lausd.k12.ca.us/lausd/resources/integration/computervoc.html The now ubiquitous Microsoft standalone operating system with integral graphical user interface, running on top of MS Dos. Version 4.0 is imminent. www.nettedautomation.com/glossary_menue/glossary_w.html a quick way to open an overall "Start" menu in Windows (but can usually be configured to do the same thing in Linux). Win-m minimizes everything. Win-r opens the run window. Win-e lunches the windows explorer. www.dictionaryofeverything.com/explore/440/IBM_PC_keyboard.html The most common operating system on home and office computers, developed by Microsoft. The most recent version, Windows XP, is installed on more than 50% of all computers in the world. The next generation, code-named Windows Longhorn, is expected to be released early 2007, and be substantially more secure than existing systems. 4umi.com/web/glossary.htm A graphical user interface developed by Microsoft for DOS (Disk Operating System), sometimes called MS-DOS, the standard operating system for IBM-PC's. The operating system is the software that controls the computer hardware, manages program operations, and handles the flow of data to and from storage devices and peripherals. www.cybernet1.com/hcs/glossary.htm Each frame can be split into sections that emacs calls windows. www-h.eng.cam.ac.uk/help/tpl/emacs/node3.html MS' GUI successor to MS-DOS www.nongnu.org/chmspec/latest/Glossary.html In general, the style of window is indicative of the style of the building. Romanesque churches have rounded (semicircular) heads. Oeil de boeuf (ox eye) windows (round windows set into walls) are used in the Baroque style. See also lancet, oculus, oriel, rose window, wheel window, fenestration, sash...) www.religionatlas.org/TeacherResources/Glossary/GlossaryS5.asp

I have Winblows XP on my desktop and Ubuntu Linux on my laptop. I'm loving Ubuntu! Even if it did take me forever to figure out how to get it on my WPA encrypted network.

I'm using Windows XP Professional.

I have windows XP on my desktop and Windows 2000 on my laptop. I like XP better then Windows 2000. Windows 2000 has some limitations to it and that bugs me!! :-)