You can install it over the internet if you have dsl or cable connections. In theory. Unfortunately, I tried something similar on this and a laptop. Several times. I just installed Debian. Once I got it working but the other times, I've been fortunate I had working CD-ROM drives, smart boot manager and the Debian livecd disk. You should read these instructions:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Instal...
Be aware though, usually -- and I've had this happen to the Sarge installers once and the etch installers every time -- they refused to recognize my ethernet card. Try them anyhow.
As for the second thing, what you do in step 4 -- first, is, once you KNOW the network works and you've repartitioned the hard drive (remember, include swap space as well as space for the OS), hit alt-F2, and that should get you to another terminal. If there is a floppy in your drive do a "umount /media/floppy0" if that doesn't work do a "umount /mnt/floppy0", put in a floppy with the debootstrap_1.0.9~hardy1.tar.gz file, mount it,
Anyhow, once you have untarred and installed the debootstrap file, unmount the floppy, log out of that terminal and hit alt-F1 to return to the installation. It should install an Ubuntu, rather than a debian system.
Also, there are instructions for making the floppies from the img files, using dd. If you have access to a Windows computer, use Rawrite.exe. Get it here:
http://ftp.tux.org/pub/dos/rawrite/
You will notice the exe file, a doc file, and the c source. Consider the c source your right but the exe and doc files necessities.
Anyone who thinks there is something unethical about this bite your tongue. Ubuntu is a debian-derived system. Not only was Mark Shuttleworth himself once a debian developer but there is constant communications between the two projects and even some coordination. Ubuntu is not THE SAME as Debian, but it is very closely related and frankly, I regard that as one of its strengths.
As I said, this may fail if the ethernet card isn't detected, but it's probably worth a try.
Oh, rather than using the debian install disks they mention, I recommend you use these more up-to-date ones:
http://ftp.egr.msu.edu/debian/dists/etch...
EDIT: as a less techie alternative, you might try smart boot manager, which you can download here:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/btmgr/
and see if IT will boot your USB drive.
It might. I wish I could offer some surer ways to get it going but I can't.