I have used Xine with success on two distros: Gentoo and Ububtu Breezy (5.10). Normally there is a package called win32codecs that is what you need.
In Ububtu Xine works off-the-shelf, I haven't installed anything but xine itself and the package win32codecs.

In Gentoo, the only thing I did was putting 'win32codecs' as a USE flag.

The fact is that I haven't touched a single configuration file nor done anything special: It just works.

Linux has just about everything I need/want except the games. If Linux could get some games (or a better way to play than through wine, etc) I would take WinXP pro off my laptop right now. Wine is great, but for demanding games, you might as well install M$ as well....just my 2 cents...

It depends on which games you like. All the ID games are available for Linux and it seems that the trend is to give Linux support, as companies needs to give MacOS X support. Porting this to Linux/OpenGL/Xorg could be accomplished as a by-product, and perhaps gaming companies will need to use free compilers and devel stuff anyway.

AutoCAD & 3dSMAX
I would immediately erase my win paritition since i play games on Playstation

I just downloade Knoppix 4.0.2 DVD. Unbelievable!!!
Now if Ubuntu/kubuntu or other based Debian distro. had a menu item "configure like Knoppix" click on it, relax, get cold one, then come back to a completely configured working computer.

God i wud lv it if HP would create it so tht you can hv an install disc for linux, i mean they made one for windows and mac but not linux.

Sure, that wouldn't hurt - but I definitely appreciate just being able to download drivers and not having to fumble with disks. Alot of my server configuration is remotely done with ssh and disk management tends to be a challenge in that respect.

I would like to see Zone Alarm ported to Linux, also a port for Pro-Tools. After all it would be nice to see Linux gain a little more ground in the pro-audio field. And speaking of pro-audio, I might as well mention Gigastudio too...

That would be so great! Recently my downstair's computer's hdd kicked the bucket so i downloaded knoppix to hold me over. I thought "Oh boy here we go 30 minutes of configuring every time i start" but i didn't have to do a thing to get sound/wifi to work !

Winamp
Alibre
Rhinoceros
Nero 7+
Macromedia Studio 8+
Adobe Premeire/After Effects
QuickBooks, (i know, i'll shut up!)
Sony ACID Pro
ProTools

Actually I would like getting most of windows programs working on linux……but something I care more it’s about the hardware drivers…..Imagine that not long ago a TV tuner from AverMedia AverTv505…….this model it’s not supported yet for linux, so I have to run windows to watch the Fuu TV…come on …..Isn’t that MONOPOLISM? …..This sucker are forcing me to use windows, that’s just not Fuu fear….Does some body knows if I can demand this sucker for doing that? ; ) (seriously ..........Does any body got the same Problem….?.........What can we do about it?....

If Dreamweaver was made for Linux I would never use Windows again. Its an excellent program with no rivals yet. photoshop and Paint shop pro are 2 others I would like to use in Linux, I am endeavoring to learn the Gimp its a top program but I prefer the layout of photoshop.(could be just a familiarity thing)another I would like is Xara for web graphics although as I am new to Linux there might be equivalent programs available that I haven't found.

I would very much like to see the likes of Cubase and wavelab and all the virtual instruments and plugins ported to Linux. COME ON Yamaha you now own Steinberg, get it sorted!!!

Xara is porting. and is upposed to be going to be free on linux

most distributions come with the HP dirvers already loaded... installing on linux generally could be diffcult... as the installer would have to configure the BSD-lpr compatibility tools, as well as CUPS...