Windows Vista vs. Windows XP vs. Ubuntu Linux:

The gang at Viper Lair has taken on a pretty big task by comparing three major OSes. This type of review can be as long as you want it or as short as you want it. In this case, the went with a battery of tests to see how individual tasks perform.

However, from a Media Center perspective, there is no doubt that MCE Vista has the edge with CableCard and Blu-ray/HD DVD support.

From the article:

What about Ubuntu you ask? Well, my bias leans towards running Ubuntu (or any Linux for that matter) anyway, however I am a realist and I fully understand that DirectX games such as Flat Out2, BF2 and BF2142 will not run, or must be emulated to run on Linux. Thats not to say it would not be a good solution, because obviously you are getting a lot of performance out of older as well as new hardware, especially when you consider what you pay :).

In the end, obviously you the reader to need to make the choice of what is right for you. How much pain are you willing to endure in order to have an OS that fits your requirements? What reason would compel you to move to a new OS? Is it sexy to stay with XP Pro? Not so much. Is it sexy to move to Vista? Certainly. Is it sexy to move to Ubuntu? Maybe, no matter, it definitely is kewl.