Ubuntu 12.04 (beta) is first version that works in native 16:9 resolution on recently acquired ACER laptop. Screen brightness is stuck on maximum. Current usage with system is off-line.

Will try next to enable (disabled) WIFI, and make my system accessible to various hubs.

Have written hundreds of DOS textmode command-line utilities in C/C++, some of which might be useful in UNIX environment once I get familiar with gcc and related porting differences.