OS Dilemma

I have done my research on the AAO and I am liking it much better than anything else on the market. Other than not being able to actually try typing on it (Northern Illinois computing stores do not carry it...unless you count Chicago), I am stuck on the OS. I have made up my mind (for now) on this model: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6834115508

I am a college student, and I have some down time during the day, so the AAO would be a great accessory. Here's what I need to be able to do...
- light IM use
- web browsing
- light music use
- Flash artwork/animation (optional...I don't know if Linux has a clone)
- moderate office work (papers, spreadsheets, presentations)
- note-taking program (Word works, but Ubuntu's Tomboy notes has won me over for note taking).

Granted I have a full size laptop which does all this and more, but a 17" laptop is too bulky and power inefficient. I would like to know what other think about an OS for college use. Which do you think would be more effective?

 

Windows XP will always be the more practical choice.... less tweaking and works with a zillion software found anywhere hehehe. If you're the more adventurous type and like fiddling around to get things to work, then Linux is for you. I have mine on Linux just for the sake of being different, since I'm bored with windows. But my work laptop is still on windows of course.