Snowbird Linux has [nearly] everything you need to try out a modern desktop. You don't have to erase anything on your current system and it won't put your files at risk.
Take a test drive using the bootable media; Snowbird Linux can also be installed from the live environment side by side with your current operating system or as a standalone replacement.
The stable releases are:
(Fedora 19) - Snowbird Linux 19 (New Dawn - 19.2 - 16th October 2013)
(Fedora 20) - Snowbird Linux 20...