Like most users on the Internet, I have been using the Windows operating system for many years. There are certainly many applications that appeal to me including Microsoft Office, Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Photoshop. Now, while I always thought of Windows as being the standard, easy-to-use operating system, I wanted to try something different, something refreshing.

I heard about something called Linux, and after some research, I stumbled upon Ubuntu, a Linux-based operating system. After thoroughly testing and trying out the new features that Ubuntu has to offer, I instantly told myself, "This is perfect for me." I knew I wanted to switch to Ubuntu, but there was one problem: the programs I used only worked with Windows! These weren't simple programs that can easily be replaced with a Linux alternative. They are hardcore programs like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, Flash, Dreamweaver, etc.

I knew about the Wine emulator, a tool that can allow Windows-based applications be easily used on Ubuntu. However, using Wine with heavy-based applications such as Photoshop and Microsoft Office didn't seem too appealing to me. I knew I needed something more powerful. Having a separate partition for Windows was out of the question because I didn't want to spend the extra time to load another operating system just to use a program! That seemed too much of a hassle. I learned about virtual machines and concluded that setting one up would be my only choice. However, after peforming a Google search about something, I soon discovered the answer to my problem. It was very simple and easy too. I introduce to you the program, Crossover Linux.

Developed by CodeWeavers Inc., Crossover Linux is a platform that allows many popular Windows programs to be run on Linux systems. It supports many popular programs including Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, QuickTime, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and so much more. It also supports many games including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Counterstrike and more. It's very easy to install too. Using Ubuntu's built in installation tools, I was able to install Crossover Linux with a click of a button. Afterwards, I was able to install Microsoft Office 2007 with ease. (Note: you must have the CD or installation files somewhere. Crossover doesn't provide shareware software for free.) While I have only had Microsoft Office installed for a short period of time, I have not had any problems with it so far. Click here for a screenshot of what Word looks like when it's working on Ubuntu.

Not all Windows-based applications may work with Crossover Linux. Some progams just can't run without Windows. But it doesn't hurt to try all your software out. There's also a MAC version of this if you're interested.

What's the catch? Well, Crossover Linux does cost $40 for the Standard version and $70 for the Professional version. There is a 30-day free trial though, so you are allowed plenty of time to try out the product. Honestly, this product is worth every penny if you can become a full-time Linux user with it. So, if you are looking to switch to a Linux operating system but are worried that you won't be able to get your software to work, you now have a solution.

TL;DR - If you want to get Windows-based applications to work on Linux, use Crossover Linux. It supports Photoshop, Microsoft Office 2007, Internet Explorer, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Counterstrike, and so much more.