does linux ppc run the same exes OK as linux x86 does?
No. If that's the case, then can anyone recommend good virtual machine software for me to run an x86 version of linux on?
It's my understanding that VirtualPC and VMVare seem to work pretty well.Depending on what you're looking for you might want to go with a minimalist distro like Puppy Linux which is an x86 Linux distro that you can boot off an USB device if harddrive partitioning is a little too exciting for you.
Also, if you've got a FAT32 partition on your harddrive already you may want to go with one of the many 'Live CDs' which will allow you to boot from CD into a Linux environment, and you can go from there.
As for which distro to go with I usually recomend Mandrake Linux for a 'complete' package, Puppy Linux for a minimalist distro, and Knoppix for a 'Live CD' experience.
If you like Debian however, that's a pretty good choice too. Those guys have a very likeable position on which direction they'd like to see Linux evolvle.