About Installing Ubuntu

"I am prode of using OPENSOURCE" ,when I read the sentence on a book about scilab, I shaked. At that time I decided not to use windows, beacause of copyright.
At the same time, one friend gave me a CD with the ubuntu 5.10. I searched some howto, and tryed to install ubuntu on my computer. A pity, I failed. I tryed again and again. A error was still in the new OS. I gave up and went back windows.
Maybe it became custom, I used to input "linux&ubuntu" to the google.
"I have got the ubuntu 6.06" the same guy, who gave the CD to me, "This one is yours nows."
So I got the second CD about ubuntu. And I tryed again, failed too. I realised the reason was that I installed the 64bit OS, but more software doesn't support it, such as xrgsu supplicant. I exchanged my computer for a secondhand IBM.
I search more information about ubuntu & linux. I found linux support the hard on the second computer. Installed, seted, did… Fine, I made it.
Maybe I am fool to exchanged the computer. But I think I need a laptop, just study. And I am glod.