Working room

Alright, the legs of the table in our working room are there. My old computer is unpacked, the boxes are thrown away.After some problems I got the computer to work. I decided not to install the scanner, since is is quite big, and I never use it anyway. If I really need to scan something, I can always connect it temporary...
Now I have to reinstall all the software. I could clean up the current installtion and copy my files from my laptop, but I have been playing with this machine for years, and I think it is best to start from zero. I am sure I don't need any file or application, since I didn't use this computer for the last 17 months.
First I was thinking about installing only Linux, but to get working quickly I think it is best to start with a small Windows 98 installation. After Linux id fully operational, I only have to change the boot loader. And it is always handy to have a copy of Windows available, isn't it?