switch from windows vista to (k)ubuntu

[Alain Muls]

Hi ubuntu-users

Yesterday a friend asked me to install his new PC. As he gained advice 
from a seller, he got a system with vista home edition and also bought 
the office 2007 version. I installed vista home (just a language 
selection) which took more than an hour on a real fast system :-(. Then 
I installed his office and opened up word to check if the printer was 
correctly configured and usable We were both astonished by the look and 
feel of this word which requires to learn everything again (e.g. we had 
to search for several minutes before finding the print menu entry!). The 
only apps he needs are an office (word processing and spreadsheet), a 
browser and mailer.

Since I use linux (k)ubuntu, I entered a livecd of ubuntu 7.10 and 
started the live session. It was up and running in under 5 minutes and 
showed him openoffice writer which printed correctly. He was amazed by this.

Now he is willing to have a dual boot with linux. I already did this for 
xp systems, but I do not know whether I can resize the vista partition, 
and use the ubuntu grub boot menu to be spawned to the vista boot menu.

I would also want to have a sort of common home between his vista and 
ubuntu systems where I want to put his office files, the mails from 
thunderbird and the firefox settings so that he can use both systems 
without having to resort to complicated syncing between both systems. It 
would also be nice to offer him a common place for his music collection.

I will also recover his data from his previous system which had a 
lightening struck, so I have his old hard drive. Recovering his office 
files from his 'my documents' folder will not be a problem, but how can 
i switch its mails and addressbook to thunderbird?

Tx for any advice

Bye/Alain
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