Thinking about getting a moped for my 16th?

my mu suggested to me that for my 16th i could get a moped :) i was wondering what people thought of them, if they are any good and how easy it is to pass the compulsory course thing and the tests involved? is it really hard to learn? any additional info about them would be great thank you such as insurance, tax and when you get rid of the 'L' sign? :D oh and whether you use it a lot if you have one? many thanks