If I change to Ubuntu from Vista will all of my built in features remain fully functional?

Dear Kieran,
You can always check this by inserting the ubuntu cd in the cd/dvd drive and restarting your system.
It will boot with your cd ( Remember: you must have set your cd drive as 1st boot drive in your bios for this to happen.) and you can check / recheck that all your hardware is working properly or not.
If satisfied , then install it into your hard drive or just continue with Vista. (After removing the cd and rebooting, )

i.e. Your linux cd is a complete Operating System in itself. It takes some memory space in your RAM and runs out of it in live mode.It doesn't disturb anything on your hard disk. So after you remove and reboot, your previous settings are available to you as it were before trying live cd.

So I can install Linux and all my programs will remain in tack. Cause I have CS3 and lots of other stuff. Will they remain on the system. And if they're not compatible or something is there a way to make them. If not can you have 2 OS's on the same PC. As then I could switch between the two.

Hi,

  there are several ways you can try ubuntu while keeping access to Vista

  1. as Pankaj said you can try the live CD to try out ubuntu and check how it works
      this does not change your PC and ubuntu is not installed on your PC so you are somewhat limited in what you can do but it is totally riskless -> you can't inadvertently remove vista

      this page explains a bit what a ubuntu live CD is usually used for : http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-9988099-33.html

  2. dual-boot with ubuntu
      you install ubuntu on your PC next to VISTA - when the PC boots you can then choose whether you want to boot up with VISTA or with ubuntu

      this is the typicall install for people who can't get rid of windows for some reason : typically gaming or MS office or work related

      http://vista.blorge.com/2008/02/22/how-to-dual-boot-vista-with-ubuntu/

      As this will change the data on your PC's disks you may want to make a backup of your data before doing this
      you should be carefull to select the correct disk partition to install ubuntu when ubuntu asks you which drive/partition to use

  3. use ubuntu in a virtual machine on vista - for example by using VMWARE or virtual PC
      you then always boot in to vista and to run ubuntu you start a virtual PC in vista which can boot ubuntu

     http://blogs.msdn.com/mikekol/archive/2007/08/06/making-ubuntu-7-04-work-under-virtual-pc-2007.aspx

   4 install ubuntu on a special windows file using Wubi
      this is an easy install - I have never tried it and am not sure what the advantages/disavantages are

   http://www.howtoforge.com/wubi_ubuntu_on_windows

also have a look at this page : http://www.techotopia.com/index.php/How_to_Try_Ubuntu_Linux

I recommend using option 1 or 4 to try ubuntu out, if you decide you like it you should go for option 2 as it'll allow full perfomance use of ubuntu