i been looking at different linux software just wondering which is the better software to use?
and compatible with windows xp as well.

Are you referring to the various distributions of Linux?

And compatability with any other os shouldn't be an issue [erm... please correct me if I am wrong] because you're either going to run it out of a CD [like knoppix] or you're going to partition your hard disk. Either way, Linux will not interfere with what's on the other side of the disk, so I don't think you need to worry about that

As for compatability with windows XP....nil. Unless you run some emulation software like WINE or WINEX or CEDEGA, the latter 2 are for emulating the DirectX library (meaning Games). WINE is usually for the emulation of simple windows apps. As for further, you could compile windows applications by source with CYG libraries and the same for windows to use linux applications. However support between distros depends on what packages are installed, like debian has a different packaging system than mandrake and redhat. So it could become a problem if you try to use a .rpm in a debian distro. As for interferences with windows, there will be none as linux can't read by default a NTFS drive, and even less write to one. Of course you would have to have the harddisk partitioned BEFORE installing linux or windows, or if you don't care about maybe losing your data you could resize your partition so you have some space to install linux on. I hope my information was correct and helped you deciding to move to linux

I would suggest Slackware to a beginner but Linux is getting mainstream more and more every day so it's not really a big deal for a newbie to setup its own linux distro.
I've run many flavours of Unix and Linux and from I've try and learn, I still like BSD systems the most.I like to have a full control over the system.I run Fedora Core 4 also.It's great and its more alike to Windows considering the multimedia part.I can watch any type of video format, listen to music, use photoshop and office sofware and I even run games like Counter Strike and Age of Empires.
After installing your Linux I suggest you look around on XMMS, Xine, Wine, WineX (Cedega), aMsn, but what I like the most is the mounting power.You can access any file on Windows you like with one line of code.

You will need two partitions for installing Linux.One EXT2, I suggest atleast 5Gb and one SWAP, slightly bigger or equal as your RAM.You can set this up easily with Partition Magic under Windows.

Installing Linux is really a piece of cake.