Hello Karen and Paul, Quite right, just to trial another operating system you don't need an internet connection right away. What I really like about Ubuntu is that it comes as a complete working system.  Word processor and spreadsheet, equal to and in many respects better than some, image manipulation programme, every possible piece of software available on a mouse click, a supportive community, stability way beyond what Microsoft can offer and the chance lift the bonnet and get your hands dirty.  Above all, it lends  itself to almost infinite customisation.  And, if you really want to, you can run Windows on it via a virtual machine.  What more could anyone want. Some of these functions may not be so easy to access without broadband or with limits to dial-up access. By the way, resolution and refresh rates are different things, hence my comment about CRT and TFT monitors. What did you mean by your comment about downloading a different version being out of your reach.  If you meant a different version of Ubuntu, then that is not a problem.  Personally, I have stuck with Ubuntu Dapper Drake LTS, the Long Term Support version.  This is supported until 2009.  I leave the frontier stuff to the more adventurous.  As you may have gathered from the comments on the mailing list, the latest version is not without some hickups.  Going for the latest version may be a legacy of the Windows philosophy of upgrading at every opportunity.  Having said that, I also acknowledge that pioneers are necessary to make advances. If you need an earlier version of Ubuntu, just say so.  I have a spare copy of 6.06, Dapper Drake LTS, as well as 6.10, Edgy Eft that I would gladly send to you.  Unfortunately I cannot send you a modem.  Please remember that with the older versions you will have problems updating your files if you have a limited download allowance. I know of Bairnsdale in Victoria but have no knowledge of Bairnsdale in NSW.  You really are tucked away, aren't you. Cheers, Andre <div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">   <a href="mailto:andremangan@gmail.com">andremangan@gmail.com</a> </blockquote></div>