couple of installation queries for laptop

[#1]

I'm thinking of putting ubuntu 9.10 on an ageing laptop acer 1673 what's the best way to find out if everything os going to work before committing to a full install? I've considered both wubi or just running it from a live disc but will this not give a bad representation of what performance will be like as its running alongside windows?
Also my laptop came with xp preinstalled with recovery discs in case I need to format, I think these are norton ghost discs as symantec get a mention when installing not sure. Will I be able to re-install xp if I were to sell the machine? Just hoping the linux format process doesn't remove any needed stuff from the boot drive.

[#2]

If you have about 5GB+ of free disk space and at least 512MB (preferably a bit more), then you can install Ubuntu as a Windows style application.
It effectively runs as a dual-boot configuration, but via your NTFS file system.
Google for Wubi.
As part of the install it will download about 700MB automatically.
Speed on a 3GB Windows 7 dual processor laptop is noticeably quicker. 
AFAIK It doesn't (presently) support sleep modes etc.

[#3]

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Will I be able to re-install xp if I were to sell the machine?

Am not very savvy with such things but I had the same thing with a laptop that I had. I too thought that I might sell it one day so to make things a bit simpler, I reinstalled Vista but didn't use it, just applied updates and a free anti-virus. This made the Windows partition reasonably small.
Partitioned the drive and put Ubuntu on as a dual-boot. I did end up selling the lappy and it was easy just to reinstate the boot order and delete the Linux partition as the purchaser didn't require it.
I suppose that if you put Ubuntu on the whole of the disk and want to reinstate XP at a later date you would then have to reformat with NTFS (although this is easy enough with GParted).
As it is an elderly laptop have you thought about Xubuntu? It is said to be less demanding on resources. I had the 9.04 disk so tried it again yesterday and am thinking of installing it properly.
It was quite nippy even on live CD.
Oh yes, as well as live CD Wubi would be a good way to try it inside Windows. It is on your Ubuntu disk so all you have to do is click on it and it will be up and running in 10 minutes. When I first used it I installed it inside a 10GB separate partition. And no, it won't hibernate, but then I have never been able to hibernate Ubuntu when installed properly anyway.

[#4]

Hmmm weird one I can't seem to get it to install on either. If I run wubi from the installation disc in windows I get an error saying check a temp file for details only thing I can make out there is something to do with IO errors, if I try installing from a boot disc I just get pages and pages of errors.
The disc should be fine I downloaded it from a torrent, check summed it and verified the burn so I don't think its the disc.
Any suggestions?

[#5]

Try the disk on a different pc first. That way you can tell if the error is local PC or disk related.
If it works on a different PC then maybe the laptop has a bad virus on it  OR a faulty CD reader.

[#6]

It was human error gave the disc a bit of a wipe and now it works    I have installed this has dual boot so will it use any windows drivers? I just want to make sure everything will work stand alone with ubuntu.

[#7]

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I have installed this has dual boot so will it use any windows drivers?

Nope, its completely standalone.

[#8]

Thanks for that, I have my 40gig hard drive divided into 2x20 ntfs C/D even though I picked the Ubuntu installation to be on the D drive its only left me 2.5 gig on the C drive which still has my XP installation. Is there a way to install so all the Ubuntu files end up on the D drive which is nearly empty?

[#9]

Questions:- did you do a proper install of Ubuntu or did you use the Wubi installer?
If you do a custom install, you can choose your partition(s) of choice.
If you used Wubi did you see

[#10]

I run the wubi I think using the option to install inside windows, I did see that screen and selected drive D. I also can't get my wireless card to work so far no networking icon in the task bar.
My knees are killing me using the ethernet cable next to router

[#11]

I managed to get the card working windows wireless drivers tool and downloading the xp drivers. I'm struggling to get it to connect with manual input seems ok auto DHC.

[#12]

Well done!
What's DHC?

[#13]

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Well done!

I'm as surprised as you are  Just reading back my posts you can tell they were made in the early hours the wrong side of 4 cans of cider 
DHC would be the auto DHCP relay, If I set it to automatic I can connect but if I set for manual i.p in Ubuntu connection manager  it won't although I need to confirm this tonight. Things were a bit hazy at the time and I was suffering from information overload plus I kept forgetting to take the cat5 cable out so it was possibly defaulting to that.
Was an interesting learning curve though finding the windows wireless drivers thing very handy, can other windows drivers be used in the same way or it it better sticking to the ones built into Ubuntu?
Now that I'm fairly confident things are going to work I don't mind un-installing the inside windows version, I bookmarked the help pages I needed so should be able to get back to my current state fairly quick while it's fresh in my mind. What is the best way to install it again to dual boot with XP to give the best performance? Is there a noticeable difference when it is installed in windows?
I only have a 40 gig HD split into two 20gig drives, the XP installation being on the C Drive. Ideally Everything Ubuntu would be nice on the D drive which is nearly empty. I need to keep the XP because its the last Windows system I have and I need to run Sage accounting software currently not supported.
The computers use will be using mainly the Linux for general internet use and downloading so could do with as much HD space as I can get and the XP for a little bit of work from home. I'm not familiar with the Linux file system and partitioning so any help would be appreciated.
 

[#14]

I read somewhere that the only thing that slows the Wubi version is (Windows) filesystem fragmentation.
It has the advantage that you can access Windows files via the /host folder.
What is on your D drive - is it your Ubuntu /home folder or is it Windows stuff?
If you install Ubuntu and you want dual boot, I'd suggest you use the Wubi version to split your D drive so that you have C,D,E partitions (see gparted).
Remove Wubi.
Install Ubuntu, using the custom mode
Place your / and /home partitions on the two non-Windows partitions.
Ubuntu will automatically see Windows and arrange a dual boot for you.
Because this is all new, I'd definitely suggest you consider taking a backup!

[#15]

Thanks M8 there is nothing on the D drive, when you say uninstall Wubi is that just from windows add remove progs and then re-install Ubuntu from the boot disc? I just want to be clear.