There have been several surveys asking Linux users which applications they want to see on Linux.

The Linux Foundation ran one in 2007, see https://www.linux-foundation.org/en/2007ClientSurvey

Results:

1. 47.5% 4228 AdobePhotoshop

2. 26.3% 2338 AutodeskAutocad

3. 26.3% 2339 AdobeDreamweaver

4. 21.7% 1935 AdobeIllustrator

5. 20.8% 1849 MS Visio
6. 20.0% 1780 MS Word
7. 19.5% 1733 MS Excel
8. 17.8% 1585 Apple iTunes
9. 17.4% 1546 Skype
10. 16.5% 1472 MS Outlook
11. 15.8% 1404 MS Powerpoint

12. 14.8% 1318 Intuit QuickBooks

13. 14.6% 1297 AdobePremier

14. 14.4% 1284 Intuit Quicken

15. 13.6% 1209 MS VisualStudio

16. 12.7% 1128 MS Project

17. 11.9% 1061 Intuit TurboTax

18. 11.1% 986 MS Access

19. 10.3% 917 MS MediaPlayer

20. 6.0% 534 MS Publisher

It is interesting to compare the popularity of web searches for 'linux' or 'ubuntu' with these product names using Google Trends. For instance: linux and itunes, photoshop, word, dreamweaver, excel and ubuntu and itunes, photoshop, word, dreamweaver, excel show that iTunes is searched for more, and thus might be more important for Linux users, than one might expect from the survey results.

Novell ran one in January 2006. Results as of 27 Feb 2006 (from http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/trench/16957.html ):

1. AdobePhotoshop (1866 requests)

2. AutodeskAutocad (1315 requests)

3. AdobeDreamweaver (835 requests)

4. iTunes (713 requests)

5. AdobeFlash

6. MacromediaStudio

7. Quicken (551 requests)
8. Visio
9. Quickbooks

10. LotusNotes (343 requests)

11. WorldOfWarcraft

12. AdobePremiere

13. AdobeAcrobatPro (259 requests)

14. TurboTax

15. CorelDraw

16. AdobeIllustrator

17. VisualStudio (210 requests)

18. MSOffice (199 requests)

19. SteinbergCubase (196 requests)

20. WordPerfect (176 requests)

Two of these, Flash and Notes, have native Linux versions now. Those plus World Of Warcraft work pretty well under Wine, too.

The survey also counted which software vendors were requested the most:

1. Adobe (4803)
2. Autodesk (1416)
3. Microsoft (1285)
4. Intuit (1164)
5. not specified (1011)
6. Apple (791)
7. Corel (475)
8. IBM (397)
9. Blizzard (278)
10. Steinberg (186)

• For many of those, there are free alternatives for Linux. Google for LinuxSignpost to find a good database about replacing windows applications. I could also imagine to integrate "alternatives" in our AppDB.