Same here; wherever there is a proprietary app written for windows were out of luck. Totally with desktops and more often than not on servers.

I have put in requests to a number of companies that write this stuff, for example a sonogram controlling app, or other hardware control systems, asking for a Linux port.

Only once have I gotten a response, and that was "we're in the process of considering [it.]" Most others are silent.

I told the authors of one such app, a network based client tracking system, that the client was willing to help fund the porting of it to Linux, and wanted to negotiate it, perhaps getting the final product for free (with support) or a cut of future sales, whatever...

They didn't even want to talk. That one I can't figure out other than they really don't care about their product or business. (which other indications say may be the case, it's a 'cash cow' just sitting there undeveloped any further)

As for office type docs, open office has come a long way, I rarely see any incompatibilities any more. Just last week I had to rebuild a system for a client that had used corel word perfect 10 for a number of years, but had lost the installation disks.

Open office opened the .wpd files fine, and converted them to more compatible .doc without any loss of formatting.

Won't be long and Linux will be a perfectly viable alternative for just about any role... minus those pesky windows-only proprietary things, which unfortunately are a huge part of the market.