so before passing fc3, mdk etc. off as newbie distros i decided to give them ago.
mdk freezes while detecting my usb devices(and ubuntu, the cause is probably my mouse) but fc3 installed alright. I must admit I'm quite impressed(especially since it comes with firefox and thunderbird) but I have a few Q's.
1) the package manager I'm guessing is YUM. but what the hell are GPG keys and how do i download keys for packages?

2)where is the control centre(for gnome and kde)?

3)I've installed the latest ati driver, which TOTALLY restored my love for ati...3000+ fps for glxgears!!!!!!! i can't wait to get doom3 running, just can't be bothered to boot to XP, install it and copy over the data dir. the only problem i have is when dragging windows around it leaves behing random lines and dots as if it isn't re-drawing the screen properly. anyone know how to sort that out?

Cheers!

1) Yep, yum. GPG keys assure the packages you download via yum have not become corrupt. You will want to read THIS page. There are instructions and an example of a good yum config file (located in /etc/yum.conf The base repository configurations are located in /etc/yum.conf.d as separate text files. That site also explains how to install the GPG keys for the repositories you choose.

2) The control center for Gnome is called the Configuration Editor. There are several other config utilities, and they can be found under "System Tools" in your main menu. KDE...I've no idea, sorry.

3) Congratulations on getting your ATI drivers set up. This is not always a walk in the park. Unfortunately I do not know how to sort out your artifacting problems.

You should _definitely_ go through the entire FAQ at the link above. It is the Unofficial Fedora FAQ, and contains a wealth of tips.