I've only been useing linux about 2 and a half years. and i personaly would never switch back.
I run suse 8.2 and i found it remarkably easy to learn how to use i started with mandrake duel boot with win xp home (which i later took off beacause it pissed me off to much
as far as progams that a can't use i find alternatives or wait untill support for linux comes out (like enter the matrix which is on the list of things transgaming is going to work on)
if i were you i would check out suse as well as mandrake and redhat