Yeah, I've been using Ubuntu for almost a year now, and Ubuntu EEE on my Asus since I bought it last November. I would agree it's a cleaner sound than what I ever got with XP, but I have to admit I miss the plug-and-play ease with XP. It does take a little bit of work to learn some of the linux commands and operating system architecture if you have any troubles.
As far as the Asus machine goes, I'm not sure I'd go with one again. I've found the screen too small for good scrolling and such with Rhythmbox, and the keyboard is too small and shoddy to be useful for any word processing or other more intensive netbook work. Also, the battery life has quickly degraded for me. It's great for travel given size and weight, but I'd look around at all the netbook options before buying.
Still, Ubuntu is great in many ways, although I don't know if I could live with it as my primary computer for office needs and such.
My 2 cents,
Ben