... you only need a fast internet connection (or a friend with a fast internet connection).
Go and get a free Linux distribution - I decided to take openSuse Linux because I will use it at work, but there are many good free versions (try Ubuntu).
Easy to install, nice to use and the good news are: you will get as special service not only a safer, faster operating system but also an office suite, image processing programs, development platforms, multimedia tools, ... the list is nearly endless.
Also LaTeX works without a problem and as a bonus, the excellent tool to generate LaTeX documents, Kile is part of the KDE.
And if you need help - there is really an huge, helpful community!
The only problem I have to focus: use KDE or GNOME - hmm, I can't decide, so I use both, alternating.
