Why did you install it on the laptop without trying the live CD first to make sure everything worked? It’s been quite a few years since I’ve seen Linux not work with any piece of hardware. I’m sure it happens, but it’s pretty rare these days and certainly preventable. Certainly can’t say the same for OSX, which has no live CD and doesn’t work with a huge lot of hardware out there, because it’s only made for Apple’s designer hardware.
I find the UI of Ubuntu and Mint quite pleasing. Windows 7 lifted some key UI features from Linux, which made it a lot nicer to use, but I still prefer Linux. Especially with Compiz Fusion enabled.
“It’s been quite a few years since I’ve seen Linux not work with any piece of hardware.”
Good for you, but that is not my experience, and the Linux forums also attest otherwise, and that the percentage of Linux users with such problems is far higher than with Windows users, which make up about 90% of the market.
Presently, my RealTek sound card will not work on my Sony RA-840G PC, nor my Lexmark printer, despite installing all drivers and attempts to configure them.
This is not meant to bash Linux, but to balance what i see as too positive a promotion of it as desktop ready.
Well because I like challenges and making something work that isn’t always supported. My point is that not everyone is going to have current, main-stream peripherals after all we’re not talking Apple owners here. Many people still have that old sound card or video card that likely won’t have a Linux driver for it. One of the problems that MS had with Vista is that along with the core OS code, they built in a LOT of old drivers. Linux doesn’t have near the driver support that say Win 7 does built-in and vendor drivers for *nix is hit or miss.
Your question as to why I installed it without running a compatibility test is moot. The average user most certainly won’t do that either, in my case I knew I had a challenge on my hands, the average user will expect it to just work. I’m glad you like the UI of Ubuntu but the average user does not and will not but again you and I are not the average user.