I’d suggest that your network issues were due to drivers, but without any more information I couldn’t suggest anything more.

Computing is about choice – I use Windows for gaming and music sequencing. I use Ubuntu for pretty much everything else. I take issue with “Windows just works” though. It doesn’t, the companies that design and manufacture the hardware make it work . As you’ve experienced, it’s all about the drivers.

I’ll stick to windows since it “just” works.

Are you conneting via ethernet or wireless card?
If you connect via wireless, what is the brand of the card?
What wireless security do you use? WEP? WPA?

I suspect that your wireless card’s drivers aren’t included by default in the distribution.

There are solutions, but you’d need to get back to me before I type any more – it’s an involved process!

The other solution: try 7.10 – it’s better than 7.04, and may include the drivers for the card, particularly if your wireless card/laptop is fairly new.

So,essentially, it is a pretty game box.

Like Linux, though, the whole idea, everything but getting it to “just work”.

If that’s the case (or not ), the answer is “no” – I’ve seen it before on a few youtube “Watch Compiz-Fusion kick Aero Glass arse” videos, but I never bothered to seek it out.

I might try it though.

For a little frisson of eye-candy, I recommend Macslow’s Cairo-Clock – it runs on a compositing window manager like Compiz, so it’s got all sorts of bendy and stretchy goodness, and is easily skinnable.

there’s a picture of my current desktop here.