Macintoshman:
Reread my post about installing applications on Ubuntu. And get a new version of it. You can go to a bookstore and get a handy book of how to use it with a DVD in the back for less than $20.
I have not had to compile one application in the two years I've been using Ubuntu. All of them have either had a package in the Add/Remove Programs dialog or have had a workable replacement there. (Side note: I've compiled several by CHOICE, but that's beside the point.) I really don't understand why you seem to think compiling applications is necessary for a Linux system. It's not, any more than it is for a Mac OSX system. Sure there are a few distributions that are source-only like Gentoo and Source Mage, but we're talking Ubuntu here.
What applications do you need so badly?
Reread my post about installing applications on Ubuntu. And get a new version of it. You can go to a bookstore and get a handy book of how to use it with a DVD in the back for less than $20.
I have not had to compile one application in the two years I've been using Ubuntu. All of them have either had a package in the Add/Remove Programs dialog or have had a workable replacement there. (Side note: I've compiled several by CHOICE, but that's beside the point.) I really don't understand why you seem to think compiling applications is necessary for a Linux system. It's not, any more than it is for a Mac OSX system. Sure there are a few distributions that are source-only like Gentoo and Source Mage, but we're talking Ubuntu here.
What applications do you need so badly?