I'm back on windows right now.
Ubuntu is Great!

If I can overcome some of the problems like: setting the clock, finding a fast dial (like Firefox and Opera have), get the scrolling options to work without jerking/jumping and Most importantly .. The mouse magnifier option .. I just may give up windows!

There is So Much to learn!

Justme hope this might help the problem "so much to learn". My first computer was daunting and I didn't know anyone that had one. Finally I came to the conclusion, "if my 13 year old grandson can do this, so can I". That plus the fact the tech told me I couldn't hurt my computer, that helped a lot. If you really want to, you can learn, just try and try again, it can be fun. My friends think I am so smart. I really have them fooled. LOL

Oh I don't give up easily!

It's the sitting up close with my face pasted to the screen and the squinting that gets me! 8)

I also know where to go when I need HELP!! LOL

In addition to here there are some absolutely fabulous forums dedicated to ubuntu and you can do searches there and find pretty much all the answers to your questions because someone else already asked it.
Ubuntu Forums
and on there they have an area called Absolute beginner talk good place to start.

You should have firefox on ubuntu if not you can easily get it and pretty much anything you need from the repositories.
Repositories

this site right here is awesome they tell you some of the programs you will want to get from the repositories and why, now this one happens to be for one of the older versions of ubuntu, there may be an updated one if you want to search around there but most of the stuff will be similar.
The Perfect Desktop - Ubuntu
Just skip over the install part and go to the rest. I think you will find your answers on how to set up the font sizes and all those kinds of setting preferences should be I think under system, preferences, appearance. Honestly I do not use Gnome so you are kind of on your own since you are using it.

NOW LET ME EMPHASIZE THIS write down all your passwords and user names, especially the one you will need to access synaptic and Root, this should NOT be the same as the one you set up to get into your ubuntu log in screen. If you lose these you are really in trouble.

As to your mouse that sounds like it is a special function of your particular mouse you might go into where the mouse options are and see if you can enter or find your actual mouse brand and model listed and select it and you may get those functions to work.
I really suggest you use firefox as your browser, what are you using on it now?
WebBrowsers
Ubuntu Video Tutorials For People Just Starting Out

Windows to Linux: A Beginner's Guide
Linux is Not Windows

The table of equivalents
kind of old but can help you to figure out what program you need in linux to do what some program was doing in windows.

There is some good reading for you, I was given those links when I first started linux by my guru and I always pass them on to new users. Jump in with both feet!

there are several of us here that use linux so feel free to ask in general. In fact some that use ubuntu will be able to help you more than I can since I have not used it or Gnome in ages. But if you are serious about it I really do recommend that book I mentioned

Raven .. You are a 'Dear'!
I can see that I am going to be spending Lots of time on those Great Links that you have provided!

Yes, the program came loaded with Firefox.
There were other options when I downloaded the program (ubuntu) and one of them was something called Kbuntu?

All these things are really 'mind boggling' (Gnome?) but I am going to give it my best shot! 8)

Again .. Thank You Raven!!

yes the link I had given was for Kubuntu for ordering the live cd. I prefer kubuntu since it uses the KDE desktop manager rather than Gnome which ubuntu uses, KDE is in general easier for those just coming from windows it is more similar.

Look into Vinux: Linux for the Visually Impaired, based on Ubuntu 10.04
http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Adaptive-Technologies/Vinux-43337.shtml

AND, Go to the link below.....

See the categories listed on the left side of the page?
Click on a category and see what it contains, you will have the several hundred most relevant hits broken down "relationally".

Hope this is of some help........

Here is a link that might be useful: a very good search engine's results

justme has already installed Ubuntu so it is best to go with what you already have and learn that, and with all the great info and help forums for ubuntu it should not be a problem to do that.

Hi Raven
I hate to be bothersome but any luck with the Mirus? We have tried and have had no luck either.
Thanks Raven

I have been looking too and I can find the new ones on the Mirus site but they are not listing the linux ones just windows ones, have you tried contacting them on their site and asking about that? I did see a couple used ones. I have not given up!

Hi Raven
I finally found their site and ordered the mirus classroom pc. with the carrying handle. the 3415-Schoolmate Clamshell 10.1 v2 W7 Starter
MS9021-Retractable USB Mouse
CD3084-External USB DVDRW
The seller told me I could download linux/ebuncto. What do you say about this Raven? Is there anything else I should have asked for and didn't?
Thanks Raven

You could set it up as a dual boot and put the edubuntu on one partition and leave the windows 7 starter on the other. My main concern with letting the little one use windows is the risk of infection and having to use all the security programs that go with windows. Did they not offer you to do the edubuntu install for you instead of windows 7?
Since it has a 160 gig hard drive you definitely would have enough room to divide it and partition it for linux and windows. Edubuntu is of course free you just have to download the iso file of it then use a burning program that burns in iso form to cd and that cd can be used to install it or you can just put the disc in it and run it from the live cd. Oh wait I bet it does not have a cd/dvd drive so you would have to put it on a usb stick or use a stand alone usb external cd drive.
If you decided to partition it you might want to get help doing that it is not the easiest thing to do and if done wrong can mess up the windows. But finding someone to help should not be very difficult. In fact we have some people here in this forum that live in Canada, and I know a super linux guru in Canada it would of course depend on what area you live in, she lives in Wawota, SK.

I think I might contact mirus and ask them what it would take to have them partition the drive for you and put edubuntu on it also just to see what they would say. Because it does show that you can customize their units so they may be flexible.