I have just one word to give you, and that on word is "Ubuntu".  About a year ago, when I was building my new living room PC to watch Hulu, Fancast, and the CW on.  I didn't want to fork over the hundred of dollars for another MS operating system.  Well, after researching free and open source OSs, the easiest one I came accross was a Linux version called Ubuntu.

Now, believe me.  I am a PC guy from the beginning.  I feel very comfortable in the Windows enviorment. I just didn't see myself spending the money to buy an operating system for a PC that just surfs the internet only to a few websites. 

I could not beleive how simple ubuntu was to install.  After instillation, getting on the internet was as easy as clicking the included web browser Firefox.  After a few minitues later, I get a promted that there are drivers available for my video card.  After installing these driveres, and after a shutdown and reboot.  I have one of the most user friendliest OSs there is.  Ubuntu is filled with features that you would pay 100s of dollars for with MS.  It comes with a complete office suite called OpenOffice.