OT: Linux and OpenOffice

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