I know you've all seen this a million times but...

I'd just like to know from current users whether this is feasible.

I'm becoming increasingly tired of Windows and I've heard great things about Ubuntu as a beginners Linux version. I'd love to get working on it and figure it out but I'd like to know if I can set up a dual boot without losing any data and, if I choose to switch over fully, will everything I need be workable?

I need AutoCAD Architectural Desktop to work and VIZ and I'd need some ability to create and view PDF's. Other than that I'd like to be able to play my games but I have a feeling they would be less of a problem compared to Autocad and Adobe.

If anyone could just point me in the right direction I'd love it.

 

Yes, you can dual boot. You'll need to create a couple of new partitions (root and swap). You can shrink your windows partition and create the new necessary partitions by using a program called GParted. It's a free and powerful LiveCD.

Ubuntu also offers a live CD which will let you test programs out and make sure you like it before installing. The LiveCD will also let you install Ubuntu if you want. You can get the ISO via torrent or as a download off of their website.
You might want 6.06 which has LTS (long term support) or you can go for a newer version.

Depending on your computer many things will work right out of the box but you will spend some time on google, these forums, and the INCREDIBLY helpful ubuntuforums .

You will likely need to test out the windows programs you want in linux (if you ever totally switch) using WINE. Some programs work very well in WINE, others do not. Creating/Viewing PDFs should not be an issue.

If I am not making sense, please ask questions. I am a linux n00b myself, but I will be happy to help as much as possible. There is quite a community of people out there who are happy to help you. (here and elsewhere)

 

Well first off (I probably should have included this already) I have an Asus G1 and a 100gb 7200rpm HD. I do have to clean house a bit before I start partitioning which won't be much of a problem. Right now I have one partition with all my programs and a Data partition for music, documents, CAD drawings and renderings.

So, what kind of space do you think I'll need to free up for Ubuntu and to give myself some space to play with?

My needs are, in the grand scheme of things, pretty simple. I need the internet, I need AutoCAD and I want to be able to play games like Supreme Commander and Battlefield 2142.

When I get working on it I won't be going crazy, either, I'd like to keep Ubuntu as uncluttered as possible. I have a friend who is currently messing with Beryl; things like that I have very little interest in goofing with.

 

If you wait until next month, Ubuntu 7.04 will be out, and it seems to have fantastic hardware support as well as many great new features. Just a suggestion.

It seems AutoCAD doesn't work well on Linux, not even through Wine. Part of the problem is that AutoCAD requires .NET framework and this is where the installation always snags. Unless you use R14 (old school), you're pretty much SOL there. Not even R14 works completely. You can check out this site for more info.

Creating/editing PDFs shouldn't be a huge deal. As a matter of fact, OpenOffice (which is included with Ubuntu) allows you to convert all your files to a pdf format within the application. One option that you could consider if you ever want to make the switch but need AutoCAD is to run a Windows VM. AutoCAD isn't a heavy program and given the speed of computers today, it should run in a Windows XP VM pretty well.

EDIT: Don't plan on playing the latest and greatest games in Linux. You can get a lot of games to work with Wine or the commercial version of Wine CVS known as Cedega, but it's still not brand new games most of the time.