quote:
Windows programs wont run in Linux.
This is not true. They will not run natively in linux, but many windows programs will run in linux using an emulator type program such as win4lin, winex or wine, or a virtual PC like VMWare (which provides a virtual computer within which you install windows, the virtual computer is actually a windows running within linux.)
So there are quite a few ways to run windows programs in linux. HOWEVER i have heard of no way at all to run linux programs in windows, which is very telling.
Also, sadly, Microsoft chooses not to document its APIs properly (in order to give itself an advantage over other software companies when writing win32 programs) so this means that windows emulators cannot respond to all the calls that windows would, because those calls are not documented. By this logic, the problem will affect actual Microsoft programs (like M$Word) running in an emulator the most.
Also, for people who are scared of switching, i suggest dual booting. You can divide your hard disk in two, and shove all your windows stuff to one of the sides, then install linux on the other side, choosing which to boot from when you switch yr machine on. I would then urge you to actually use the linux system for a while, no matter how unusual it at first seems, use it for internet browsing and word processing and so on at first, then use it for everything. You will hopefully find that once it is set up right, you prefer it to windows. As for files, you can probably use all your current documents and files in linux right off your hard drive or wherever, depending on the file system that your windows system currently uses.
