Running Ubuntu under Windows/running a Windows app under Ubuntu

[Eric Dunbar]

Hi all, a two part question triggered by a few recent changes in my
computer set-up.

I got myself an Intel P4 box to replace my aging PowerMac G3 server
and I'd like to run a few Windows-based apps from time to time (it's
rather telling that my G3 is actually worth nearly as much as the P4
is despite being 5-6 x slower ;-).

I see three options and I'd like to mix-and-match 1 & 3 if at all possible:

1. use Linux and run the Windows apps (e.g. ArcView GIS 3.x and ArcGIS
9.x) under some compatibility environment;

2. use Linux and run Windows XP in a virtual computing environment
(like Virtual PC on Mac and now also on Windows);

3. use Windows XP and run Linux in a virtual computing environment
(the free? Virtual PC 2004 app).

Questions...
I. Has anyone run the free (?) Virtual PC 2004 app under Windows with
Ubuntu? (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtualpc/evaluation/sysreqs.mspx)

2. Can I run Windows under Linux or a Windows app under Linux?

3. [Slight aside] I Ubuntu 6.06 LTS Server edition the best choice for
a server Linux? I come from YellowDog Linux which is a Fedora
Core-based distro... is a Debian-based server much different in
operation? (I presume not but it's better to be safe than sorry and
ask the question).

PS The reason I ask these questions is that I'm new to the world of
the clone (I figured since there's no real difference between Linux on a
Mac and on a PC so all I need was raw horsepower).

Thanks, Eric.