Geoff, you could always consider Linux as an alternative to MS. I've no regrets in moving my main PC over that way, although I keep my laptop on Win, at least in part to run a couple of things I can't run using Wine.

The UNIX method of handling storage devices is different to the Windows one. I know you could liken c: to hda0, etc. but really from a users point of view, if you had 2 hard disks, you could just view it as one big disk. I've 2 disks on this PC, /bin happens to be on one and /home happens to be on another. If I was to open something like Konqurer (think Windows Explorer), I see all the direcrories as one. I've no need to remember in Win terms for \bin I need drive C or \home is on D:.

I don't think the programs worry about it either. Rather different to the Win scenario where you add a drive and by default (there must be ways of fixing this) at least on some versions that you end up with a drive letter inserted in the sequence and Win being as dumb as it is, then complains it can't find x:abc and calls you stupid because it has decided to re-assign existing drive letters.