While I have time, I really need to investigate Linux now. I am familiar with UNIX from decades of using it at work, but I haven't set up a PC at home for Lunix, nor looked at how PC applications work with it. I probably wouldn't even dual boot. Just leave the current PC to use Win applications outside of browsing and account access. Just get a separate PC for Lunix, or just convert my wife's as she rarely ever uses it.
you can download and make a CD of linux to try it without installing it- it’s a good way to get to know it and any changes you make will not affect your windows os- when you power down and take CD out it goes right back to your windows os- it’s a little slow when running off the CD- but not too bad-
another option, which wouldn’t be too hard, would be to get a new hard drive, a cheap one (you only need a few gigs- like 50 or 100 or so) and install linux on it if you are comfortable doing things like that- I have a couple of hard drives i picked up really cheap second hand that i installed a couple different flavors of linux on- and can just pop them in computer easily enough if i want to use them-
[[ Just get a separate PC for Lunix,]]
If all you’re gonna use it for is like browsing itnernet, and email- you can pick up really heap secodn hand computers- you won’t need a powerful one either- linux runs really fast even on old computers- but of course, look for most powerful one for cheapest amount possible- This is actually a great idea as you can switch back and forth when you need to run windows only programs or games- even a small laptop to run the windows os on, and use the desktop for everyday browsing or vice versa- Might even wanna look into a switch box so that one is online while the other isn’t- that way your windows os would be way more secure- not beign online all the time
There’s lots of possibilities- I’d probably do with the cheap computer for linux myself- although the extra hard-drive isn’t too hard to do either-