My new install is slower than windowsXP, so I assume that I need to fine tune my Fedora8 installation.

Where do I start?
Is there a tutorial?

What hardware are you running?

Fedora8 on Compaq/HP nx9010

I don't know where to start looking in Linux for specifics.

If you mean that programs open slow that is one thing(normal). If you mean that once they open they run slow that is another(unusual). Windows actually prestarts a lot of apps at boot. This soaks up a lot of memory but it does allow the programs to appear to start faster. Post back the results of:

free

uname -a

cat /proc/cpuinfo

You can also look in (assuming Gnome): Apllications->System Tolls-> System Monitor (under system tab)

cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor : 0
vendor_id : GenuineIntel
cpu family : 15
model : 2
model name : Mobile Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.06GHz
stepping : 9
cpu MHz : 1596.000
cache size : 512 KB
fdiv_bug : no
hlt_bug : no
f00f_bug : no
coma_bug : no
fpu : yes
fpu_exception : yes
cpuid level : 2
wp : yes
flags : fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe up pebs bts cid xtpr
bogomips : 3193.39
clflush size : 64

free
total used free shared buffers cached
Mem: 449504 400176 49328 0 8516 165016
-/+ buffers/cache: 226644 222860
Swap: 917496 176304 741192

uname -a
Linux localhost.localdomain 2.6.25.10-47.fc8 #1 SMP Mon Jul 7 18:39:51 EDT 2008 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

Cpu is plenty good. Most of your memory is in buffers/cache(it will pull it when it needs it). Depending on what your doing you are ok with 512meg. The time to really check free is when your machine is slow. It does look like you are using some swap, which will really slow things down. About the only cure for that is more memory or fewer things running. You may have an app that is not cleaning up after itself, judging from swap being used and a lot in buffers/catch. You are running the 32bit version which is appropriate for a machine with less than 2GB of ram. You did not answer if it was apps starting slow or running slow? What in particular is slow? You can also see where you cpu cycles are going with "top".

Based on playing with the systems monitor, I think it is video/CPU related. I am getting a CPU spike when I do anything graphically. I am dropping characters when I type, but that may be me.

Start up and shut down don't bother me.
Going from one firefox window to the next bothers me.
Refreshing firefox windows bothers me. I can see that I am not pushing the internet connection, but the window refresh is slow.
Flipping between office writer and firefox boths me.