Hi There, looking to convert to linux, pretty confident at building computers, and windows applications, however after using firefox for past couple of months I have realised there is life after windows. I do plan to keep a windows system however I would like to be able to do alot of things on the linux system:

My first question is obviously hardware related: I am looking at using something on the lines of 800mhz AMD and up for my proccessor with 512mb ram etc. I do not play games so graphics isn't important, however I do do alot of DVD watching on my PC. I also would like to access my wireless internet connection I take it this is possible.

Secondly: Software I currently use microsoft office excel word and publisher for my college work, just wondering if this is cross compatible with any linux office application.

I also do abit of dvd copying using DVD shrink and nero express, However i beggning to think I will have to keep my windows PC for this, is this right??

Thankyou for any help it is greatly appreciated Sam

Your hardware specs sound fine for any of the major distros available. You may have to play and tweak a little to get your wireless connection working. (But it *should* work!)

The best MSOffice-compatible suite right now is OpenOffice.org. It is *pretty* good at reading/writing WOrd docs, and I think *most* Excel functions work. If yo find it doesn't meet your needs, there is also Crossover Office, which is a Windows-compatibility program you can buy ($35?) that you can install Office into and run from there.

As for DVD shrink, I don't know. Dig around on these forums; I am sure it has been discussed. And the best CD/DVD writer I have *ever* used is K3B, which runs in the KDE Desktop Environment (but you can run it in Gnome, and others, too ). I think it even beats Nero, from when I used WIndows.

Listen, I can't say for certain, but apart from the cpu being a little ancient, the hardware thing doesn't look too bad.

As far as making sure about worries of compatibility with MS Orifice, you could get hold of a copy of crossover office from codeweavers. No, it's not free if you look at the link, at the moment it's 36$.

You could learn wine or wineX and get your mso app's running under linux or course, but for nice straight forward ease, I got the crossover office and then just installed mso 2k pro. Straight in, Word, excel, powerpoint,access,frontpage, the bloody lot (oh and a couple of unsupported apps as well i.e. a backgammon game etc etc).

If you're new to linux, it makes the initial experience easy, by all means get open office and learn that too, most mso stuff should open/run, AFAIK, at the moment the only things that are a struggle are very complicated excel spread sheets and macro's, because mso uses visual basic and Open office doesn't. Oh and my crossover is version 3.01 and "clippy" doesn't work, but that's annoying as hell (I didn't try any of the other office assistants).

36$ is cheap for initial peace of mind.

regards

John