What is...?

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What are Linux and Ubuntu? I take it they're operating systems for computers?

Is there a "101" video that demonstrates the basics of them?

What's an Arduino? What's a Raspberry Pi? What are the differences between them? What's an ODROID? I assume it's similar to a Raspberry Pi?

See, I have some computer geek friends I don't want to sound like an idiot when talking to them or when they're talking about these things, I'd like to be in the know and not have to ask, "wait, what's that?"

If you know, could you explain them in plain, simple English?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcontroller

The short answer is you have to basically given yourself a bit of a computer science/engineering education before you really appreciate what all this stuff means. Linux is Unix-like and POSIX-based OS, which is basically the standard of every modern operating system except Windows. (anyone who thinks windows is the center of the universe has never done anything outside of basic IT work) Many embedded systems use Linux, including Raspberry Pi.

Arduino is a development platform for micro-controllers. These are real computers with very limited power; their IO is usually about a dozen or two pins.

Raspberry Pi is basically the computer hardware equivalent of a smartphone on a single chip, but with more embedded-friendly IO (i.e. it also has pins similar to ones I described for micro-controllers). It also runs standard Linux. You could basically use it as a desktop, a mobile computer, a microcontroller, or anything in between.

Windows is the operating system that you use in conjunction with the browser called Internet Explorer to download the Ubuntu operating system and the Firefox web browser. Linux comes in various flavours; some will work with your computer some will give you an upset stomach and diarrhoea.

Raspberry pie is an alternative to American Pie. The key difference is that you can't stick your dick into one of them... well you could but it might result in electrocution.

A type of operating system: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix
An operating system is this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system

If you want a "feel" for what different flavours of Linux are like, just google "live cd". You download the disc image file (*.iso) and burn it to a CD. Put the CD in your CD drive, make sure your boot settings will start with that drive, and reboot the computer. Without changing anything on your current system (as long as you don't choose to install), you're now using that flavour of Linux. This lets you see what it's like in practice. And if you hit one of the distros that will not play nicely with your machine, all you have to do is take the CD out and reboot again.

A great way to learn about computers is to fool around with them. Especially the things you can do without risk of nuking your existing system. So have fun!

The best soundbyte I can come up with is this: Linux is an OS like Windows, except Linux is designed by programmers (without bureacrats & managers), for programmers/engineers (as opposed to the non-technical user).

If you want to try it, use Unetbootin to burn a Linux ISO to a USB drive. LiveCDs are terrible in terms of performance. One might be left with the mistaken assumption that Linux is slower than Windows. Also I would recommend download the Xubuntu ISO since GNOME3 is way slower (especially boot time) and looks like a cheap knockoff off Windows/Mac.