Given that I use SuSE Linux as my primary desktop environment at work I wondered what it would take to make the switch to Linux at home. I tend to use much more Windows platform specific software at home. What I found is that if you are comfortable with stepping back several years in product features/interfaces/etc. the transition isn't entirely unreasonable. There are still applications I could definately not live without (Quicken 2004, DVDDecryptor) or already have a investment in (Cellar!, Office/Visio, etc) where a virtual machine product like VMWare would make the transition possible.
I did a quick inventory and here is what I found I rely on at home (other than small utilities that definately have Linux parity):
* = suitable Linux replacement
- = limited Linux replacement
- * PowerQuest Partition Magic $60
- Retrospect Backup $90
- Quicken 2004 Deluxe $55
- Adobe Album 2.0
- * DriveCrypt 4.1 $60
- - ZoneAlarm Pro Personal Firewall $50 (free version available)
- Avast Antivirus (or Norton alternatively)
- Canon Camera Software
- * Microsoft Office (openoffice.org) $50 (through MS friends)
- Visio $30 (through MS friends)
- Cellar! Wine Companion $30
- DVDDecryptor
- * AudioGrabber (replacements available)
- Grand Prix Legends / Games
- * Nero Burning ROM $75
- * Neuros Synchronization Manager
- Spybot Search & Destroy
- - Adobe Photoshop (only limited features needed) $240
Additional Linux tools that I already use or would make transition possible:
- VMWare Workstation $299
- Ximian Evolution
- SquirrelMail
- Gallery
- MovableType
- Bogofilter + SpamAssassin
