If you are feeling adventurous enough, I would suggest that you install Linux in a "dual boot" setup.
You can select which OS to boot each time you power up or let it default after a configurable timeout.
By downloading and booting a Linux DVD, you can also just run Linux in a temporary fashion, from the DVD, without changing your hard disk, and things that look like they are written to disk are just stored in memory, It is slow, and when you run out of memory you are stuck, and when you reboot, anything you did is gone, but you can install programs and run them and get used to the feel and command prompt.
If you have a writeable DVD drive and a big external USB drive for backup, installing Linux is just:
- clean big truly worthless junk off your PC so you won't be backing it up, 100meg and larger video files are a common source of big junk
- download Clonezilla Live and burn ISO image to CD or DVD
- download Linux ISO file and burn ISO image to DVD
- delete the ISO files because they don't need to be backed up
- boot Clonezilla CD and tell it to back up (select your drive and select your backup drive)
- boot Linux DVD, follow the instructions to do things like select language, time zone, etc. and verify that it will repartition your drive to shrink Windows to make space for Linux
- the final shrink, partition, install could take 30 minutes or 4 hours
If you don't have a writable DVD, it can still be done with a thumb drive, but it is more complicated.
Of course you can skip the backing up if there is nothing important on the PC.
There is UEFI vs. legacy. I am running Windows 7 in legacy mode. Legacy always works easily and is at least five times as easy as UEFI. I can't really recommend this if you are running Windows in UEFI mode, unless you are a hard core geek with time on your hands and an attitude that says "failure is not an option." ... but maybe it is easier than it was 3 years ago.
The default for all distros I have tried is to shrink the Windows partition and add a new partition for Linux to live in. Generally, you just need to be sensible, read the prompts so that you understand not to do something like select an option that says "Erase whole disk and use whole disk for Linux".
I like Mint Mate 64 bit, because it is understandable to Windows users (but not exactly the same). It doesn't try to act like an over grown smart phone with hidden stuff only accessible with swipe left/right, etc.
I really need to update my PCs. The most recent thing I am running is Mint 18 when 19 has been out since June.
Link to 64 bit Linux Mint Mate 19:
https://linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=256