I always figured I could accomplish everything i needed using only ubuntu and a five year old laptop. Everything else was just indulgence. So far i have only run into a couple massive roadblocks

My frigging film scanned is about six years old, and will not comply with my lifeboat here. The device activates, but ubuntu cant seem to see it at all. I had to use some workarounds just to get it running under windows seven. All the internet can teach me on the subject is that scanners are an endless vortex of proprietary software which is almost never supported for more than a year or so.
iTunes does not currently make a linux version of their software. There is pretty much no hope of apple ever investing any time on that particular project. I don't really care about the store, but currently my phone and pad are stuck with no way of loading or unloading data. There are workarounds for this, but the music and photos are pretty much stuck on the devices until i either sync or reformat.
The read/write speeds on usb devices is shockingly slow. This is making backup an issue. I have a 500gb external that i rarely use, but getting data off of it with my laptop is a nightmare. It seems to work fine on my mothers apple, so i guess i will seize her machine this weekend.

This has forced me to prioritize my work. I have been cleaning up and organizing all my scans, and put the new film acquisition on hold. Every time i get frustrated, i remind myself how i could have left my laptop at home while i was in Canada, and come home to a completely dead workspace.

I will say this has been weirdly satisfying. My system of backups functioned correctly, sort of. It is nice getting a taste of what computing might be like if i was a homeless person.