You asked some very good questions and I'll answer them the best I can.
1.) Wine can be installed on the hard drive, correct.
Wine can and is installed on the Hard Drive. Most programs that you install on
the system are. Wine is program that can run some and not all Micro Soft windows
programs. Wine is basically a lier telling the the MS formate program that you
are installing for example game X. Game X see's that it can install and game X
thinks it is installing on a windows operating system. So it tells tells the
program a lie on the O/S.
2.) Am I still able to install programs into Ubuntu or do I have to run
them from the CD? I wasn't sure about that, neither was my father. If
the programs can be installed, how do you install them?
Loading programs is completely different than windows. There is several ways to
install programs. One is Synaptic and the main way to install programs that is
Linux supported. Over thousands and thousands of open source software is there.
As long you have a internet connection. It is VERY VERY simple way to install
programs. Here are some links to book mark. Please read them and you'll be
amaze.
http://monkeyblog.org/ubuntu/installing/
http://psychocats.net/ubuntu/index
Here are some video ones here too.
http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/
http://ubuntuclips.org/
When you install programs, you do not need to restart you computer. it should
be there right off the bat
3.) Will Wine help with running printer drivers and drivers for other
devices?
No and the reason why no, is that drivers run way different in Linux/Unix than
windows. Depending what printer you have.. Hope it is not Lexmark. That the
drivers are all ready there. Please see this link on how to set up a printer in
Ubuntu.
http://screencasts.ubuntu.com/Printing_In_Ubuntu
It as easy as 123
Depending what hardware you are talking about. Like Wifi Cards, Video Cards,
Sound cards, Hard drives, CD roms, CDR, DVD, RDVD, and TV cards. Ubie short for
Ubuntu will most likely detect it either at the install of Ubuntu or automatic
set it up. It is like a Apple computer in a sort of way. Now as I said depending
what hardware you have. There is times that you need to do some mojo to get the
hardware to work. This is one way for one to become very fluster like a custard.
Every thing works differently than windows and remember that.
And to help you on the right path. Please read this link too.
http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm
I will help you when I can and do not get mad. Cripes, when my three year old
gets on my Ubie box. I can be like. How in the heck did he do that.