If you want to enjoy the advantages of FOSS in full, you should switch the operating system of your computer to some Linux distribution which is completely free.
Because of free source code, many different corporations and communities publish their own version of Linux – all these versions are fundamentally similar and the differences are usually just in the selection of software and the appearance. These versions are called Linux distributions.
The most well-known of these Linux distributions is Ubuntu. From the web site of Ubuntu:
"Ubuntu is a community and Linux-based operating system, which works perfectly on laptops, desktops as well as servers. It includes all the necessary software – a web browser, office software, instant messengers and much more."
Ubuntu itself is available in multiple flavors which include Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Edubuntu and Xubuntu; this introduction only discusses the first two.
What is the difference between Ubuntu and Kubuntu? They are both essentially similar, but Kubuntu uses KDE as its graphical user interface while the normal Ubuntu uses GNOME.
Kubuntu is popular among those who switch from Microsoft Windows to Linux, as KDE resembles Windows in many ways. However, Ubuntu is at the moment more popular among other users, because it is regarded easier to use. Whichever you choose, you'll have the same operating system beneath the surface and you can install other graphical environments in the same system later.
When you want to see how Ubuntu works on your computer, you can download a live CD of Ubuntu or Kubuntu. After you've downloaded and burned the disc, insert the disc in your disc drive and restart the computer. Linux will start on your computer and you'll be able to examine it. When you're finished, you can remove the disc from the drive and restart again, and your computer will be exactly as it was before inserting the disc – without a trace of Linux and without any changes to your hard drive and operating system.
When you decide to install Ubuntu or Kubuntu permanently, you can choose whether to install it over the current Microsoft Windows installation or next to it in a so-called "dual-boot". With dual-boot you get to choose to start the computer with Windows or with Linux each time you turn on the computer – although when you install Linux you don't need anything else!