100% Linux - Is it possible?

[Gordon Keehn]

Pete Choppin wrote:

> I was just looking for a consensus on this...
>  
> I have been working with Fedora Core 3 for the past month.  My new 
> years resolution was to learn Linux.  So far, so good.
>  
> I created a dual-boot Fedora / Windows XP.  I am now seriously 
> considering going completely 100% Linux and dumping my Windows 
> partition entirely.
>  
> The question is - can you live completely without Windows, or do you 
> sooner or later have to resort to Windows again?
>  
> --
> Pete

    That depends entirely on what software you consider mission 
critical, and how tightly you're bound to it.  I use Quicken to manage 
my finances.  Latest releases don't run under wine, and I don't like the 
available alternatives (e.g. gnucash) so I'll have at least one Windows 
box around for the forseeable future.  For someone who is more flexible 
or less entrenched than I the process of eliminating Windows could be a 
lot easier.  You have to ask yourself three questions.  What software 
(if any) can't I live without?  Can it run under Linux, directly or 
through a compatibility layer like wine?  Are there acceptable 
alternatives?  If you can answer those questions to your satisfaction, 
you could be running Linux exclusively by tomorrow.
    Cheers,
Gordon Keehn