yes
No. Windows and Linux have different APIs and ABIs for programs to access. You cannot run Linux binaries on Windows, and you can only run Windows binaries on Linux if you have Wine installed.
Yes - this technique is know as a dual-boot system.
Windows XP and Yellow Dog Linux are not capable of being installed on the same computer, unless one is in an emulator. An operating system in an emulator cannot affect the host system. So yes.
By means of an external drive, linux and windows are different OSes, but you may use those very same files in both. If you are using the same computer with a dual boot you may use, again, an external drive or just browse windows folder after mounting it in your linux OS.
You can use any computer that has skype installed to communicate with any other computer that has skype installed. So if you're running Mac OsX and your son has Windose Xp then you can communicate without any problems. Skype is available on Windows, Mac and Linux platforms and even mobiles.
...with Windows XP Professional already installed on your computer. Windows Vista cannot be installed without Windows XP Professional installed first on your computer, it's the same with Windows 7; Windows' latest operating system (OS).
You can install and run Microsoft Office in Linux, yes. You will need to install it separately, however; you can't just run the programs off your Windowspartition in Linux.
Most Linux distributions do not use graphical installers for each individual program, so there is no equivalent in Linux. Programs are downloaded and installed through a single interface, be it Synaptic, YaST, apt, and so on.
The 2 operating systems are different from each other. Linux programs aren't meant to work in Windows most of the time. If you want to run Linux programs in Windows, install cygwin, and compile them from source code.
yes but better if partitioned less chance of messing up
Yes, and is known as a dual-booting computer. Install Windows first, then your chosen distribution of Linux (Ubuntu is one example). You will be given the choice of which to use at the start of booting up the computer.
A quick and relatively easy method of getting Ubuntu Linux - if you already have a Windows system and you want to run Ubuntu Linux on it - is to download Ubuntu and install it by using the Wubi (the Windows-based Ubuntu Installer) from this Ubuntu web site: http://wubi-installer.org You can use the Wubi (Windows-based Ubuntu Installer) to download and install Ubuntu Linux in Windows and this is very similar to installing any software program in Windows. One of the great benefits of using the "Wubi Installer" is that you can also uninstall Ubuntu Linux from Windows if you need to (in the same way as you uninstall any Windows program). When you use the "Wubi Installer", you DON'T have to do the following steps (that you would "typically" need to do) to install the Desktop version of Ubuntu Linux on an existing Windows system: download a Linux ISO file burn the Linux ISO file to a Linux CD set up your computer to boot from CD boot with the Linux CD to run Linux "Live" and get to the GNOME desktop double-click on the "Install" icon to start the installation routine run the Ubuntu Linux installation routine Ubuntu Linux Training Tips: The Wubi Installer is only used to install the Desktop (not Server) Edition of Ubuntu Linux on an existing Windows system - and not on a new or used computer system that doesn't have Windows already installed on it. All of the "download, burn, setup, and so on" steps listed above will be described shortly in upcoming sections. The Ubuntu Linux installation steps described above are required to install the Desktop and Server Editions (versions) of Ubuntu Linux - either on a computer system that has Windows (to create a Dual-Boot Windows / Linux system) or one that doesn't have Windows Ubuntu Linux Training Tips: Keep in mind that prior to installing Ubuntu Linux (or any Linux distro) on an existing Windows system, you need to do a complete backup of your Windows system - twice! Also make sure that you can use the backups that you have created to restore your Windows system from backup. (copied from "http://www.ubuntulinuxbookblog.com/wubi-installer-windows-based-ubuntu-installer-training-download-install-ubuntu-linux-in-windows.html" ) A quick and relatively easy method of getting Ubuntu Linux - if you already have a Windows system and you want to run Ubuntu Linux on it - is to download Ubuntu and install it by using the Wubi (the Windows-based Ubuntu Installer) from this Ubuntu web site: http://wubi-installer.org You can use the Wubi (Windows-based Ubuntu Installer) to download and install Ubuntu Linux in Windows and this is very similar to installing any software program in Windows. One of the great benefits of using the "Wubi Installer" is that you can also uninstall Ubuntu Linux from Windows if you need to (in the same way as you uninstall any Windows program). When you use the "Wubi Installer", you DON'T have to do the following steps (that you would "typically" need to do) to install the Desktop version of Ubuntu Linux on an existing Windows system: download a Linux ISO file burn the Linux ISO file to a Linux CD set up your computer to boot from CD boot with the Linux CD to run Linux "Live" and get to the GNOME desktop double-click on the "Install" icon to start the installation routine run the Ubuntu Linux installation routine Ubuntu Linux Training Tips: The Wubi Installer is only used to install the Desktop (not Server) Edition of Ubuntu Linux on an existing Windows system - and not on a new or used computer system that doesn't have Windows already installed on it. All of the "download, burn, setup, and so on" steps listed above will be described shortly in upcoming sections. The Ubuntu Linux installation steps described above are required to install the Desktop and Server Editions (versions) of Ubuntu Linux - either on a computer system that has Windows (to create a Dual-Boot Windows / Linux system) or one that doesn't have Windows Ubuntu Linux Training Tips: Keep in mind that prior to installing Ubuntu Linux (or any Linux distro) on an existing Windows system, you need to do a complete backup of your Windows system - twice! Also make sure that you can use the backups that you have created to restore your Windows system from backup. (copied from "http://www.ubuntulinuxbookblog.com/wubi-installer-windows-based-ubuntu-installer-training-download-install-ubuntu-linux-in-windows.html" )