Edifice
Yes, if you use the WINE app, Ubuntu can run most of the software designed for Windows XP.
However I never bothered since Ubuntu comes with ~266 'supportred' apps and programs of its own, even more if you go into the 'unsupported' apps, all free. It's a whole other OS, kinda like moving from Windows to a Mac only it doesn't cost you a penny!
That's the beauty of a dual boot setup, you can learn Ubuntu at your own pace and still have Windows for a backup.
You can give Ubuntu a test drive by running a Live CD.
All you do is go to the
Ubuntu site (where they will give you all the directions you need) and download an ISO file then burn it to CD, then pop that Live CD in your PC and you can run Ubuntu off the CD to see what it's like without installing it on your PC.
Or you can go
http://distrowatch.com for more info on all the free linux distros currently available.