New to Ubuntu..trying to install on Dell Inspiron 3520

I recently lost my hard drive on my Del Inspiron 3520, i3-2370M CPU @ 2.40 GHz x4.. Now ruing Ubuntu 12.10

It came with windows 8 pro 64 bit installed but when I went to reinstall I realized that I had no windows 8 install disk or a windows 8 code to use to activate it anyways. I have just gone through all of this with one of my sons computers, a Gateway with windows 8.1 core, his hard drive died about a year ago and I bought a new one and then realized it also did not come with a windows code or windows software, this is making me a bit angry, I am long past tired of the money grubbing tricks Microsoft and computer manufacturers are using to try and squeeze every cent they can out of people. I have been considering moving away from Windows to Ubuntu for years now and finally here I am...

It just so happens that I downloaded Ubuntu a couple months back on my old desktop pc to try and mess around with it in virtual pc, I was never able to get it to actually do anything and gave up on it. When I got my new hard drive for my Dell laptop computer today I bued the Ubuntu iso onto a dvd and installed it.

I spent a while exploring the icons and what not seeing where everything is, then went to trying to setup and test things out... I noticed a number of things unable to function normally or at all on the laptop, I thought it likely to be driver issues and so attempted to pull drivers off of my driver cd, I apparently caot even read the cd, not that it would likely do me any good anyways.

Okay, so here goes with a list of things that I have to try to figure out...

1.) Is it even possible to run this laptop effectively with Ubuntu?

2.) Wireless, I have no wireless capability with Ubuntu, is there anyway to deal with this?

3.) CDROM/DVD drivers, I seem to have basic function but no more than that at the moment.

4.) Sound, my sound does not appear to work, at least as far as I can test as yet, I am unable to play any kind of media at all so it is hard to tell exactly.

Some other questions that I seem to be having some trouble with...

1.) How do I get to a command or DOS type prompt?

2.) How do I find network settings, IP settings etc... I have a network folder but it gives no options or settings..

3.) Why am I unable to set computer date and time or change the location?

I have a dozen other computers that I could try Ubuntu on, am I better off going back to windows on this computer and trying on another machine? Currently it seems very unlikely that I will be able to get this computer to run effectively on Ubuntu, but I am willing to give it a shot if anyone who has more experience can give me some guidance as to where to start and where to go... other than He double hockey sticks anyways... lol...