General :: Choosing Partition For Ubuntu/XP Install?

Like most long-time Windows users, I am a bit (very!) confused by the manual partitioning of Linux, and particularly the semi-guided partitioning of Ubuntu 10. I first tried Ubuntu way back in version 5, and it was easy to install, I could identify the correct partition by SIZE, not the enigmatic sdb1(0,1,0) nomenclature used in 10.

I set up a 32GB partition, figuring I could install Ubuntu to that, letting it manage the entire space. Instead, I can't even figure out which drive or partition is which (three hard drives, 8 partitions).

Why can't Linux (most distros--some are clear) at least give you a "sdb (0,1,0) 25.6GB" "hint" that you are installing to where you want to?

I've tried thirty versions/distros of Linux over the years (starting with Corel Linux) and for the same handful of reasons, never replaced Windows, or for that matter, even used Linux much.

1) Partitioning woes (explained above)

2) Inability to play well with Windows networks

3) ALSA? I've NEVER gotten it to work for me; it either works out of the box or I never have sound

4) Needing to download every audio and video codec and it's associated libraries to play an mp3 and watch a Divx movie

5) Completely non-intuitive naming of almost every part of Linux (why can't the names at least hint at what they are?)

Yes, I want a more Windows-like Linux. I grew up with the DOS command prompt. Been there, done that.