You should look into adding the Firefox Stable PPA. It currently has Firefox 7.0.1. With Firefox 8 having just been released, I would say this is pretty up to date, especially for Ubuntu LTS. If you want to get brave, you can even add the Firefox Beta PPA.

In my experience, about 18 months into the LTS cycle, it starts to become a pain using up to date programs. Being able to update a few key apps takes away the temptation to go for the regular (6 month) releases. Other options to stay up to date while only relying on Ubuntu packages include using Ubuntu Backports and Prevu.

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Andy

I've successfully relied on SmallNetBuilder to purchase equipment for clients on a tight budget before. Some of the consumer stuff can be a diamond in the rough. This page in particular is probably a good starting point for your hardware needs. It sounds like you've got the software part figured out.

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Andy

Dear Troll,

I run multiple operating systems, including Linux and Windows. I've seen games (all types; not just FPSs) that have a high wow-factor at first. After playing them for a little while I realize they don't bring anything new to the table.

Often times, it seems as if the game developers just used a new engine for the same old game. But at least they have people like you who fall for those tactics, right?

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Andy

I doubt the cause of this is the games; they haven't gotten any better lately in my opinion.

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Andy