Great post with some eye-opening information!
But you can run Windows based softwares on Linux with a built-in Emulator called Wine, just right clicking on the software and click run, would emulate the Windows installation feature and would create a virtual C: partition in your Home folder.
This has been the reason several people like me have not gone in for Linux. But this statement is quite revealing for the uninitiated - Linux is definitely worth taking up, especially after I read your post.