Before taking the leap into PClinuxOS and comitting your computer, it would be a good idea to take inventory of the software you need and what to backup.

Have a look at all the software you use in Windows and see what alternatives there are in linux.

Common software items include:

• MS Word = Open Office Writer
• Internet Explorer = FireFox
• MS Calculator = Calc
• Outlook Express = Thunderbird

For a good comparative list you can look at the following web page for information:

The Linux Alternatives Project  

Also, make a list of files that you would like to back up. One thing I found on my old Windows PC was that I had placed quite a bit of working documents on my desktop. This included letters, memos, notes, spreadsheets and even pictures.

A good idea is to do some organization before backing of your files. Create MS Word folders in the My Documents folder. Inside that folder, create dated folders by month and year or name them by what they are.