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

I am a new PC owner-receiving an Acer 5532 wireless laptop for Xmas. The cable co. hooked me up yesterday w/my bundled service. I'm a bit upset as the cable rep told me he'd help hook up my webcam & printer. This unit has the new 7 installed but no built in webcam. When he atempted to hook it into the system-a screen said it was not compatible with 7. Grrr. Ravencajun..thank you for the link above to get me started. I haven't run a 'puter since 1996-and that was just my company's program, so I'm CLUELESS how to navigate this laptop! I have been using an msn2 unit and (prior to that- a webtv unit) for the past 12 years- If there are any other links to a tutorial on how to use all of the functions..can anyone link me or will the above link be all I need? My biggest fear is not knowing how to transfer my folders' contents from msn unit to the new pc. My new email is set up-haven't tried it yet. I did move all photos stored in my photos file,into a 'share photos' folder- which one MSN webber said:"Your favorites are already stored on Sky Drive Windows Live. They'll be mirrored on Sky Drive Windows Live on your computer at your present users address." (my msn addy or the new addy?) ??? Yeah right..so how do I transfer them to the PC? I am such a ROOKIE! Going to the link you provided, now. Thanks!

You are so very welcome I am delighted that you followed through and stuck with it. You made huge steps doing this clean up. I am proud of you! I know Corrine was proud of you too. She is wonderful at taking things slowly. Our team at Lansdown is about the best on the Internet, we have a wonderful group from all over the world that volunteer to help out. I have been there a long time. Feel free to come back and visit us there. I am happy to help any time I can.

Maybe you need to password protect your work station so that when you are away, no one can use it. I've had nasty surprises that way too when someone changed a setting in my absence. Luckily, I caught on quickly about the change. After securing my work station with a password, the culprit gave himself away. At noon, I lurked around the corner on the first day I secured my station and when I heard someone swearing at my computer, I looked to see who it was. Another reason to lock the machine in today's environment is self preservation. A number of years ago, my company began monitoring employees email activity. They were looking for abuses. They did not mind you sending notes to your home or exploring during your free time; they were looking for pornography activity. If someone uses your workstation for such activity, it could become a black mark on your record depending on how the system is set up. People who sneak into your machine without asking are suspect and do not deserve any respect from you.