well...i'm one of those people that didn't have a problem with it.
though i did NOT download it from microsoft.
somehow i got it a few days bfore the release on a web site
i used it for about a month...then got my 2k cd back and put that back on....
so...i only used it for a minimal amount of time, but never had any problems what so ever.
and i use this computer for gamin', p2p and interent....pretty much the same as you.
but, i've heard i think somewhere to install it right when you install windows so that it's "clean"