I'm a freelance Print and Motion Graphics Designer and currently running WIN XP 32bit, so I was looking at affordable solutions to upgrade to a 64bit system, which CS6 requires. Win7 is sells at an outrageous price! Ubuntu is one such solution, and Open Source is the way of the future... An IT friend was testing stuff out for me in preparation for my C:drive format and installation of Ubuntu. Here's what he said:
"I tried to install CS6 under WINE 1.4 and it failed to even get to the install; there is WINE 1.5beta, but nothing is certain."

Here's what WINEHQ says about installing Photoshop CS6 (it's a fail, btw):
http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=25607

Here's what WINEHQ says about installing the Adobe Creative Suite 6 (another fail):
http://appdb.winehq.org/objectManager.php?sClass=version&iId=25607&iTestingId=70359

Hope that helps. It doesn't help me!!! I guess Bill Gates gets richer and the poor get the picture. C'mon Bill... sharing is caring! Enough of your archaic business model!!

Unfortunately, Photoshop hasn't worked well under Wine since version 7 (pre-CS5). I still keep that version on my system, but to tell the truth I usually run such applications in a Windows virtual machine running under Linux. If you want to run CS6 (or 5 for that matter), then you will have to pay the Microsoft tax... :-( Open source alternatives? Try GIMP. The latest versions have been well-received by the graphics arts community. As for animation tools, there are good FOSS tools for that as well. I'll check with my sister-in-law (a professional animator and animation educator) to see what she knows about FOSS tools of the trade.

I'd love to know what your sister-in-law says! Although I'm not hopeful. I did this the other day, and not sure I could achieve anything like it using FOSS tools: http://youtu.be/EHd1DUIIeqM (but there's something in me that wants to believe!) So I guess, yes, at this point MS Win7 is my only option.

Thanks for the reply.

I'll send her a message now. No promises. I'll probably be able to tell you something tomorrow.

Why bother trying to get CS6 working on Linux. Do what I did Fresh install of Windows 7 then install Linux which gives you the option of retaining Linux so you have a dual booting system so you can go into windows and use Photoshop as before.
Most of my work is done with ACR and saved on an external drive in jpeg format which can then be accessed via linux if necessary

Problem is, Win7 64bit isn't free like Ubuntu 64bit is. I currently only have a WinXP 32bit and want to install CS6, which requires a 64bit system. Yes, there are ways to "creatively acquire" these things, but as a business owner, I want legitimacy.

Seems there's no way around it. Thanks for your reply though!