I would dump Windows this very evening if applications I must have (pro-studio recording apps:multitracking apps like Cakewalk, Cool Edit Pro/Adobe Audition and so on) to use existed. Sadly, they do not exist.
Have you seen Ardour and Rosegarden ?
I haven't had a chance to play with either yet, but they look pretty nice to me! They require ALSA sound drivers, and I'm still running OSS drivers. I do plan to install ALSA drivers soon, specifically for the ability to run Ardour, Rosegarden, and Cinelerra.
I've been keeping an eye on Ardour for a while now. I was unaware of Rosegarden. Both look very promising. However, neither are appear to be near Cakewalk/Sonar's level.
I greatly appreciate your sharing of info and I will now add Rosefoot to the list of apps to watch as their development continues.