...Ubuntu was still sending out free discs, and that was as of the 10.4 release. I haven't bothered checking into 10.10 yet as I don't even have my system set up and might not until 11.4. But yes, you could order a free set of install media, only real issue was how long would it take to get there. You can also download the .iso image from the Ubuntu website, burn the image to cd, and install off your own media. If you're having trouble with your self-burned media, I suggest you set your burning speed via software down to its slowest setting, probably 2x or 8x, or the lowest it supports. That could be your problem if you haven't been doing it that way.

Hope that helps...

Zach