Switch to dual booting - SME advice requested

Switch to dual booting - SME advice requested

Hi everyone,

I have recently set up my laptop as a dual boot machine running Win 10 and Mint 17.2. Everything is working fine but I am seeking a bit of SME advice from you all to help ease my transition into regular Linux user. I hope you don't mind me posting here, some of the Linux forums seem awash with people waiting to jump on the noob and overload him with sudo this and tar that and don’t you know this, etc.

Mu primary reason for installing Mint is because of the privacy concerns around Windows. It's not that I have a big secret to hide, just that I don't think that my correspondence, web browsing, shopping and everything else should be made available to any company or a group of companies. I have no plans to abandon Windows completely but would like the choice of using Mint when I require a bit more privacy.

So I am here with a few questions that I am hoping that you all, as subject matter experts, can help with or at least point in the right direction.

1. Windows and Mint are both installed on the same physical disk. Does the Micros ft EULA allow them to look at non-Microsoft parts of the disk? i.e. Can they use the EULA to read letters thatI have written in Open Office on Mint?

2. As a total Linux noob, do any of you have suggestions for Linux software equivalents? Open Office is not bad at all but are there equivalents for software like Auto Cad, Media Players, Torrent Client, e Book readers? I am aware that Google employs similar data-collection methods as Microsoft – should I reject Chromium and run with the supposedly less secure Firefox or am I a small enough needle to be forever disregarded?

4. Ad blockers. Do I need one? Do I need any sort of malicious software removal tool? I don't believe that Linux (and Macs, and iPhones, and ietc.) are immune to the talents of a dedicated group.

5. One Drive. I have a lot on there. Is this accessible from Linux?

Like I said, I am a complete newbie. Any and all help appreciated. Thank you in advance even if the advice is RTFM. If the advice is RTFM can you please point out where the F the F-ing M is???

Thank You.