What is a popular linux desktop os besides ubuntu, which has a windows-like presentation layer?
As for Linux OS, I’ve only used Ubuntu, Fedora, and Damn Small Linux. So since you want “besides Ubuntu,” I would recommend you to try out Fedora: http://fedoraproject.org/ For general uses, I don’t see many major differences between Ubuntu and Fedora. But configuring wireless connection in Fedora is a lot easier than in Ubuntu, especially if you are new to Linux.