I chose to try Linux because it is Free. Free = freedom.
I have stuck with Linux because it is free, stable, usable, and legal.
I believe in applying freedom to many aspects of my life. I love this quote by Albert Camus:
"The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion."
Ubuntu is really nice because it makes desktop Linux accessible for all levels of users. The interface is clean and inviting, and it has the super cool apt-get functionality of Debian, the disribution that it is based on.
Ubuntu also works as a "live cd" so you can see if it works on your hardware before you install it...Wouldn't it be nice if Microsoft offered that?!
Linux Mint also offers the perks of Ubuntu, but it offers a lot of proprietary media formats that work "out of the box". Flash, DVD playback, etc. are all accessible from your first boot. This was the distro that made the switch to Linux easiest for me because Flash player and DVD playback are staples on my home desktop. I do run Ubuntu on my desktop now, and I think that the choice of default software in Ubuntu (Evolution vs Thunderbird for one) is better overall, and Ubuntu does have easy ways of getting your proprietary media formats working. Restricted Formats In Ubuntu Documentation
Debian is considered one of the most stable distributions available. You won't get the frills of Ubuntu or Mint "out of the box" but you will get a near bullet-proof system to run an Apache web server, network utilities, or to base your new Linux distribution on. :-)
