I am using Ubuntu 8.04 and don't have to do any of those nasties
you mention, it is all at the click of a button. How old is your OS?

But there again I don't have to defrag, clean-up, tune-up, Spysweep or
virus sweep. I don't have to meticulously update every little program
I've got for security or other updates.

Particularly I don't have to look for the 'Start' button to close the
system down!

I think any system takes an effort to become accustomed to it. That all
part of the 'fun'