OT: Linux and OpenOffice

[Tony Mori]

I have a couple apps I want to try, and they seem to be best supported under 
Linux...

In that vein, can you guys suggest some distros for me to try? I've not 
actually USED a desktop linux since
about RH9, although I run RHEL 4 and 5 servers at the office...

I've downloaded Gentoo, Centos 5.2, Ubuntu 8.04.1, Fedora 9, just downloaded 
gOS (is it any good?)

I like GUI's, so something decent on the gfx front...

Hardware I have available:

Dell Latitude D610 (circa 2006)
Pentium-M 2.13gHz
1GB RAM
60GB hard disk
it has a 1024x768 LCD (ewww!) and an ATI Radeon X300 video card with 64MB of 
video RAM.
Older Intel WiFi card
I also have a port replicator, and was wondering if that was supported...

Don't need any dual-boot, or partitioning tricks, as I have a separate 60GB 
drive+sled for the D610.

Other things I'd like to be able to do:
1) VPN into the office (std VPN, like you do with a windows VPN connection),
2) Office apps OpenOffice can cover (I don't do really fancy stuff like my 
wife did - I just use non-complicated Excel sheets and word),
3) Connect to my Exchange server - googling showed Evolution?
4) Any tools for blackberry? I have an 8700g with T-Mobile

This will not turn into a pro/con sucks/doesn't suck discussion, as I am 
sure that horse was beaten beyond dead long ago...
This is just a req to ask for what people are running out there, as a 
suggestion for what I should try.

I don't mind trying and installing more than 1, if it's a "you need to look 
at both" case...

Thanks.

Tony