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