Good to see! Just keep playing around with Ubuntu, it's fun when you start out. Oh, and don't be afraid to use the terminal, it's really not that scary!
Have you installed the drivers for your graphics card? With a 9600GT you should be able to use the Compiz Fusion effect very well. If you haven't turned on the "fancy stuff", here's a quick list on how to do it:
1) Install graphics card drivers (automated through the Restricted Drivers Manager/Hardware Manger/whatever they called it in 8.04)
2) Open Synaptic (System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager)
3) Search for "compiz"
4) Install the compiz-fusion-plugins packages (the extra ones) and the compizconfig-settings-manager (I think that's what it's called..can't remember for sure). Also install fusion-icon and emerald (emerald gives you glass window borders like Vista).
5) After installed, open the Compiz manager (System -> Preferences -> Compiz...something or other, it'll be a new icon with something about desktop compositing or compiz or something, in Vista right now or I'd look it up)
6) Play around with settings, make your desktop awesome
7) Show off to all your Windows-using friends, watch them become envious of your awesome desktop
8) Spend days on end installing Ubuntu on
their computers, teaching them how to install Compiz, and telling them exactly
why they can't use MSN Messenger, Microsoft Word, iTunes, etc. on their shiny new desktop.
EDIT:
LOL just noticed that I put Ubuntu 8.10 instead of 8.04 in my signature. Yes, I'm so 1337 that I use a version of Ubuntu that doesn't even exist yet! Gotta edit my sig (or install 8.10 alpha-whatever).
ubuntu 
Linear Mode
