You go slow, otherwise you will fail. You can not learn in Linux all you can do with Windows in just one day.
Maybe if you have a nvidia/ATI card, the next step is to install the proprietary drivers from āAdditional Driversā, but maybe only if you see that Blender has graphics problems.
ty YAFU one last question when I install Linux I know I will lose everything on my hard drive but will I lose everything in my backup hard drive?
In automatic mode where Ubuntu decides how to partition, you should not lose anything. You should not lose the Windows installation. But just in case it is always recommended to make backups on external drives or DVDs.
You look for recent tutorials on youtube.
Another thing, do not install Ubuntu under Windows (using Wubi), it usually fails. You install Ubuntu booting from the Ubuntu DVD.
From my personal experience(which of course differs from others), Iāve had a MS update render my Win 7 laptop unusable. For me, I have no confidence in that OS. Iām waiting for Windows 9(10?) next year and hope it will be a return to form for MS, and will try again with that machine. LOL, in a strange turn of events, Vista has been the best performing version of Windows I have used so farā¦
Ubuntu was hard to understand at first, but after putting in the effort its been a great performer. Its so much easier and faster to use than Windows. Only downside(I can think of) is that WINE is not really a substitute for running Windows games. If its games you want then its either a dual-boot with Windows or just settle for a games console.
Been using Linux at home and work since 2007. Never Looked back. And donāt get me started on Windows 8 as a āreliable fast OSā, that thing is crap and designed for the tablet kiddies!
IN MY OPINION WINDOWS IS BEST AS COMPARE TO LINUX FOR NORMAL USER. BECAUSE WINDOW IS USER FRIENDLY AND EASY TO OPERATE. Linux is best for professionals.
Personally I prefer Windows to Linux. Had Linux Ubuntu dropped on me and Iām still lost with it. It reminds me of old DOS days.
I do love OSX and I try and use that exclusively. I know that there are a lot of people that think it is a horrible OS, but I havenāt had half the problems Iāve had with Windows. In fact I doubt Iāll update past Win 7. Win 8 just isnāt my cup of tea and if thatās the direction MS goes then Iāll just stick with OSX.
Windows. Try as I might, Linux doesnāt seem to work for me.
Have we covered the fact that linux can boot, and run, from a USB/thumb drive?
another option you āmightā want to look at , lots of mobos nowadays let you set boot drive at boot time (may just be hit a F# or set it in bios)
that does remove the fear of grub[other] messing up both systems 
and drives are pretty cheap
iām also agreeing with most of them wrote hereā¦windows OS is good even though i just used Linux around 1 year and now i couldnāt move from itā¦just loved the operatingā¦but the limitations of of some software leads to rethink the decision and installed windows againā¦
As a computer user for many many years, my opinion is linux (Debian with an XFCE desktop).
There is a smudge of glue residue on my computer marking the spot where the Window$ tag
was ripped off and thrown into the dustbin!
whew!
Iām guessing you never used Windows 8ā¦
To add fuel to the discussion, the Linux Mint team has recently released the newest version of their OS.
Changes for the Cinnamon version (the teamsā flagship interface).
http://linuxmint.com/rel_rebecca_cinnamon_whatsnew.php
There are some things that will make it easier for new users like the new download manager (much less likely to accidentally break the system), and the new Kernel review window (giving you needed information before choosing the one you want). This is only a good thing as a common complaint towards Linux is that itās too easy to screw up your system.
It would be interesting to see where the cinnamon flagship goes in the future. No doubt one to keep a tab on!
Iāve been using both for the last 8 years, mostly Mint for the latter few. Overall Iād say Linux creates far less frustrating moments.
In recent years Iād almost say Mint has surpassed Windows in user-friendliness, though it depends on how much of your hardware works OOTB.
As a gamer, itās a bit disheartening to have a smaller selection, but if youāre like me then itās probably for the bestā¦
My productivity took a huge drop when Steam came to Linux.
In terms of system performance - there is no question.
Overall
I would suggest Linux Mint 100% unless you need an unsupported application or have oddball hardware that takes too much effort to set up.
My dad (whoās an old dude) does this and youāre absolutely right. His Windows system breaks from viruses etc at least once/year. He simply adjusts the BIOS and re-installs himself. All his important stuff on the Linux side remains unaffected.
Linux is not for everybody, as everybody is different and has different needs. I have been using it since 1998 and like it better than Windows. I do all my artwork on a Linux workstation and my primary tools are Blender and Gimp. Here is what I like about Linux:
For the past 10 or 12 years Iāve installed a new flavor of linux maybe once a year to play with and then I trash it after a few months.
It just comes down to software, I like my Visual Studio, Corel Painter, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere, Lightroom, etcā¦and way too many Steam games.
But for those that enjoy the alternatives, good on you. Enjoy
As a long term user of windows i have recently changed to Linux mint 17.1 and like it a lot, but be aware that setting up video drivers is a nightmare for a new linux user (ie no gpu compute ) .also make sure all the the software you want to use is available you also need access to broadband.
Linux because it has less viruses and is light on the computer, i mean by light is it has less background processes running. There is even a Linux distro called āLubuntuā which is designed with efficiency in mind.