Mobassir, some of your questions I can answer, and some of them I can't. Here's what I've found for you as well as some comments from experience:
1.
importing outlook mailboxes
2. Please be aware that linux NTFS access is experimental and writing to NTFS is dangerous.
3.
CD-Burning,
scanning and
webcam access are all well-supported under linux. Do not expect any of them to work "automatically" as in automatic like windows. If they do, praise $DEITY. Expect to have to do work.
4. I am using two adaptec SCSI cards right now, and I've used adaptec raid cards with linux.
Here's what Adaptec has to say about Linux support
The best advice I can offer you concerning learning linux is to jump right in, which is what I sense you're doing already. I only started using linux heavily about a year ago(August 1st yay!) and I advise:
1. Use your main home computer to learn and don't dual boot unless there is a Windows-only application that you NEED with no linux substitute. You will force yourself to get hardware to work, programs to run, etc this way.
2. Use auto-configurations and GUI's as little as you can. Try to use the command line and the files in /etc/ as much as possible.
3. Redhat is a great Distro, but try to install rock linux, a bsd, gentoo, arch linux at least a couple times. It doesn't matter if you fail, you'll learn a lot.
4. Compile a kernel as soon as you feel comfortable, and read the explanations on every item.
5. the "man" command,
http://rute.sourceforge.net, http://www.google.com/linux and
http://www.linuxquestions.org are your best friends.
