That pretty much describes my experiences with XP. :)
If you want to try an easier to install version of Debian, check out Mepis. It is the first Debian based distro that I have seen that correctly detected and configured all of the hardware on my old Thinkpad.
It isn't that you are spoiled, it is just that you ventured into unfamiliar territory and felt uncomfortable about being out of your environment. I will grant you that Debian doesn't have a reputation for being a newbie friendly installation, but their installer is getting better. .