If I want to use Linux, would I need XP or a OS on a LAPTOP already? Or can I just pure boot Linux? I've wanted to use Linux for a while, preferably Ubuntu. Unless those are two completely different things. I don't know, I have never used Linux before. So, any help?

Linux is an OS, so you don't need an OS on your laptop. If you just want to try out linux then it's best to use a LiveCD, this way you can boot linux from a CD without installing it on your hdd (and without altering anything on your hdd). If you don't like it, then you simply throw away the liveCD and you can continue using windows without wasting time.
If you like windows, you can usualy can install it from the liveCD, but that's another story .

Linux is kinda pre unix, in a way. It split off from unix before GUI (I think).

Imo, Livecds and virtualizing iso's are your friends.

The first thing to try, is of course, as others have mentioned, a live CD. But before that, google up information on your hardware, to see if they're compatible. I had a useless suse installation a while ago because I didn't do that step.

It sounds like you have a laptop that is ready and waiting for an OS? If you have a laptop that's currently blank I see no reason to not just install Ubuntu (or another distro, but ubuntu was a good choice on your part) and dive right into it. If you want to learn about linux the best way is to cut the ties from windows and go full boar into it. Especially if its not going to risk ruining your main platform I say go for it, install ubuntu and enjoy the world of linux. Ubuntu has an amazing user base at ubuntuforums.org as wel that are a ton of help if you come up against challenges in your linuxing

^^^ Thats exactly what I have, a laptop with no OS on it, completely clean. Now, the thing is, I have absolutely NO idea how to install Ubuntu. >_<

Download a version of Ubuntu on a friend's machine, or another one you have, and burn it to CD, then boot off that, assuming that the laptop recognizes the CD drive still.

This post has been edited by jlhaslip: Apr 24 2008, 03:43 AM

What would be the best version do you think? Cause, I have no idea what I'm doing, or what I get when I'm downloading it.

A version of Ubuntu is the best to begin with because it. There are three flavour:
Ubuntu: runs Gnome
Kubuntu: runs KDE
XUbuntu; runs XCFE

So now you are probably wondering what Gnome, KDE and XFCE are? These 'programs' are the desktop environments, they define the look and feel of linux and also offer you a set of applications (some applications only work on KDE while others only work on Gnome), tools, utilities, games, ... XFCE is a special one because it's a lightweight desktop environment, it's bit harder to begin with, but very usefull if your laptop is on the slow side.

Installing a ubuntu version is very easy. You download the ISO file, burn it on a cd, boot your laptop from it and when Ubuntu has started, you simply click the 'install ubuntu' icon on the desktop and the installation wizard starts. Pretty straightforward .

Thanks dude! Looks like I'm going with XUbuntu then. SWEET!