Would I recommend Canonical Xubuntu 8.10 to a friend? Only a computer savvy friend.

Xubuntu is an official derivative of Ubuntu that uses the Xfce windowing system instead of the Gnome system. Xubuntu shares the same stable core and vast software library as Ubuntu. I run both Ubuntu and Xubuntu and Xubuntu is a good bit faster on a given machine than Ubuntu with an eye toward greater usability on slower systems. The Increased speed comes with the compromise of a more spartan but still functional windowing system. Gone are the wiggly jiggly windows, the ability to drag a shortcut from a menu onto the panel bars, and the ability to select multiple items on the desktop by click and drag "rubber banding". Individual items can be put where you like on the desktop by dragging them in the conventional manner but can't be dragged onto a file manager window to move them. Icons can be cut or copied from the desktop, then pasted where you like, or they can be dragged from one file manager window to another or from a file manager window to the desktop. Shortcuts can be added to the panels manually by adding a generic launcher then specifying a description, command path, icon path within the preferences of the launcher. This can be more than a little daunting for the newbie.

What Xfce lacks in ease of setup and integration of the desktop with the file manager it more than makes up with the myriad array of window themes, color schemes, panel, menu and window customization options including cool transparency and shadowing options. Be warned though, Xfce assumes you know what you are doing. it will let you customize yourself into a box. Its possible to remove the menu options for accessing the settings and applications from the right click pop up window then you can just delete the menu panels from the desktop with a few clicks and all you are left with is your bare desktop with no menus and no easy way to put them back.

This is not the distro to put on the family computer. However, if you've been around the block a few times in the computer world you will absolutely LOVE the customization options and the efficient workflow of this windowing system. Did I mention its very fast?