Is Arch Linux right for me?

Question

Arch seems like a pretty awesome distro, and I think I would like it a lot. But is it right for me?
I was first introduced to Linux and Unix-based systems last summer when I took a course at my local community college. Since then, I have installed Ubuntu on my HP laptop. In the past months, I have learned and taught myself a lot about the way linux works: downloading and installing software, Unix command line prompt, etc.
Ubuntu is a fantastic distro for linux beginners, but I feel like I'm ready to take the next step and I'm always itching to see a little more of what goes on behind the scenes. I read a guide on Arch over at LifeHacker and skimmed the "Getting Started" guide on Arch Wiki and I generally understood everything that was going on; nothing seemed way over my head. So I think I could handle Arch. What do you guys think?
If you think I should take Arch for a spin, is it practical to install it as my main OS on my main machine? Should I dual-boot it next to Ubuntu or similar? I am planning on building a PC this summer and am currently debating over which OS to use; Arch is a main candidate. My main uses for this computer will be surfing the net, listening to music (integration with my iPod would be great), a little video editing, some casual gaming, and general programming/tinkering with my computer.
I know y'all probably get a lot of these but I appreciate your feedback.

Answer 1

Check out the Beginner's Guide and The Arch Way in the wiki.  It's important to note that what really distinguishes Arch from most other distros is that it isn't a distro in the most common sense of the term.  Ubuntu, Fedora, SuSE, Sabayon, Mandriva, PCLOS, etc. have graphical installers that pre-configure everything for you;  the choices are made for you, and you'll have to work around anything you don't find to your liking. You can easily add and remove programs, but always limited by what they've provided: packages that are patched in order to work in the way they've deemed appropriate, and an init system that's opaque to users (remember the fuss over certain graphics drivers not rendering Plymouth splashes correctly?  I've never had that issue in Arch).  Arch, on the other hand, is essentially a set of tools--the Arch Installation Framework, a couple init scripts, about six config files (give or take), repos, the ABS tree, the kernel and a package manager--that allow a user to craft their own operating system to their liking.  A couple of the things I just mentioned are even optional as it is; at least three of those config files have never been touched by me, as I don't need them.  Combine this sense of freedom and control with the DIY philosophy (which I find empowering as well, but hell--I enjoy research, learning and problem solving) and the close-knit community, and you've got my favorite distro.  Ultimately, it's the choices of the developers that make a distro what it is; the software--at least in principle--rarely changes.  In the case of Arch, most everything comes straight from upstream, goes in the testing repo briefly, then ends up in the standard repo, only altered if deemed necessary for security or basic functionality.
I left Ubuntu after switching to KDE and finding Kubuntu not to my liking;  I also found that many of the "conveniences" of Ubuntu (and the 9-12 other distros I tried afterward) just got in the way.  For example, why use the Ubuntu USB Startup Disk Creator or Unetbootin when "dd" is faster and easier?  How much frustration could I have avoided installing the Catalyst driver in Ubuntu or SuSE if I'd done so manually (with a number of console commands I can count on one hand) rather than mess around with a GUI, thus knowing exactly what I did wrong?  To me, it just seems better to start with what I absolutely need and build up piecemeal, rather than add a bunch of crap I don't need/want/even know is there in the first place and hide it all behind extra GUI's, then try and pick it apart.  Ultimately, you make Arch what you want it to be.  No one can tell you if it's right for you, or if you should install it (there are rare cases where folks here would flat-out say "No," but yours doesn't seem to be one of 'em ).  Check out those wiki articles I mentioned;  if it seems like something that interests you, give it a whirl!