I suspect that the amount of learning required is overestimated and avoided just due to it being an unknown. It shouldn't be much more than learning to use SQLite or PostgreSQL for the first time on another platform.

One thing I'm really looking forward to, and beginning to see is the bridging of the Linux and MS worlds. I'm sure one you've done it, you could write a great blog post for others who didn't realize that this could be easily done.