All you people who hate large corporations and do not want to see them taking over the world, then stop using Microsoft Windows!!! You hypocrites!! www.Ubuntu.com .. free .. very free .. easy ... very easy
I hope you aren't using ubuntu on an HP, Dell or Acer (after all there large coporations.. Hope you built your own computer, or went to a local computer shop.
It really shouldn't matter. With the exception of DELL and older IBMs (grr...proprietary hardware bullshit) most commercial-built PCs are quite easy to start from scratch by wiping the HDD clean and swapping in whatever extra hardware you want. You can even transplant the mobo and other internal components into a generic case if aesthetics is really an issue for you.