So you want to see what the Android fuss is about but don't want to ditch your contract or can't afford a new phone? Well you can try out an Android emulator on your Ubuntu computer, and it's really not too difficult. Marius Nestor has put together a super-easy tutorial for setting up an Android virtual device.

It's basically a list if copy/paste commands, though you'll need to change your username and the directory if you prefer a simpler name like the one I used; ~/androidsdk. The SDK is useful for Android phone owners as well. For example, when performing processes that require adb.

If you are new to Ubuntu and/or run into any problems on the way, I strongly suggest hitting up the Ubuntu Forums. The friendly and helpful folks over there are responsible for literally hundreds of thousands of converts to the Linux fold. I already had the SDK, so the process literally took less than five minutes for me. The Cupcake Emulator isn't nearly as quick (on my box) as an actual Android phone, so patience is required--especially during boot time.