text: I would personally recommend the basic (GNOME) Ubuntu. It is IMO, the simplest and easiest to use. Also, since more people use it, you get better community support. If this is your first Linux, then go for GNOME, since KDE is a little more advanced and complicated.\n\nXubuntu uses Xfce instead of GNOME or KDE. Xfce is made to be a sort of "light GNOME". I've never actually used it, but I really recommend it if your PC has less than 256 mb of RAM.\n\nAlso, be aware that each Desktop Environment and Ubuntu flavour comes with a different set of applications. For example, if I remember correctly, Ubuntu comes with OpenOffice.org, Kubuntu with Koffice, and Xubuntu with GNOME-office (Abiword and Gnumeric). Xubuntu and Ubuntu come with Firefox, Kubuntu comes with Konqueror. And so on.