WELL!
I finally took the plunge.
I tried installing Edubuntu on the PC as it has a selection of educational packages that I thought the kids might find useful.
The initial bit went okay, but then I could not persuade it to connect to my wireless router. It didn't seem to matter what I tried. It recognised the network was there and allowed me to enter passwords, but then it simply wouldn't log onto the network.
Finally I gave up on it and deleted the partition.

Following that limited success, I went back to the other live distros and decided that since the Open SUSE with a KDE desktop worked on the wireless router, it might be a better option.

It installed very easily and allowed me to make sensible decisions during the process, such as setting the dual boot to load Windows by default, so other users wouldn't be inconvenienced by finding this alien workspace instead of what they are used to.

Once installed, I got the wireless connection configured (I still haven't managed to get it to log on without it asking me for the encryption password each time, and then having to open the KDE Wallet - any advice?). As soon as I was connected to the internet, it automatically downloaded a bunch of updates.

The sound players still didn't play all the files thrown at them, but told me what add on bits were missing and linked me to where to look for them. Downloading them was a doddle, and once they had installed themselves, the sound files played perfectly. I'm iistening now.

Printer installation was a damn sight easier than on Windoze. It was already connected via USB. Just turn it on and the system detected new hardware, identified manufacturer and model and opened a box for configuring it. Once installed, it then went on to do the same for the scanner, downloading any extra files it needed.

All this setting up took time, and I suspect that I will find other stuff to set up in days to come, but it was mostly pretty straightforward compared with installing on Windows using discs that come with hardware.

Quack!
GtD.