you can run ubuntu (slowly) from a live CD without installing anything and check if the printers and internet and sound work, if not dont install it, or try another version.
I find a dual boot windows and ubuntu good, if something fails i try the other operating system, if it fails there then its probably a hardware fault, if it works there its a driver fault.
I installed ubuntu on my new vista machine as dual boot but i havent bothered booting into vista since then...
my laptop stays at windows XP because of hotmail and nokia phone software amd pold windows stuff i cant be bothered to replace..
[g]