Ubuntu installation on recent hardware

Last January I bought a new laptop (HP DV7), and of course Windows Vista was included. My first actions on my new laptop was reinstalling the machine with Ubuntu.
The installation is easy and straight forward, except for getting sound out of the machine (Intel's ICH9 chipset). After googling and exploring ubuntu, I finally got it working.

Here's my installation procedure:

1. Install Ubuntu
2. When installed update and upgrade your complete installation:
   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get upgrade
   Never mind any nvidia driver settings, do this afterwards.
   Most likely you will have to perform this step twice.
3. Update the Hardware drivers: System > Administration > Hardware Drivers:
   Use the Ubuntu recommended driver, enter password when asked for.
4. Sound might not work (stuttering, no sound, ...): add "irqpoll" to kernel command
   
1. open "/boot/grub/menu.lst"
2. look for the following lines:
   

   title Ubuntu hardy (development branch), kernel 2.6.24-16-generic
   root (hd0,5)
   kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.24-16-generic root=UUID=8k4o3ilj-3fff-dfae-943j-4332lkj52kl43 ro quiet splash
   initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.24-16-generic

3. add "irqpoll" at the end of the line "kernel"
4. save and reboot the pc
5. Mic might not work:
1. remove pulseaudio and install esound:
   

   sudo apt-get remove pulseaudio
   sudo apt-get install esound
   
   sudo rm /etc/X11/Xsession.d/70pulseaudio (You may want to back this up)

2. Under System -> Preferences -> Sound make sure they are all set to 'Autodetect'.
   The only one you will have to set manually to ALSA is 'Sound Capture' under 'Audio Conferencing'.
   Note at this point Pulseaudio is now no longer an option under these drop menus.
3. Under System -> Preferences -> Sessions
   Deselected or Remove the Pulseaudio Manager
4. Remove and asoundrc config file from your home dir (~/):
   

   rm .asound*

5. Remove pulseaudio packages:

   sudo apt-get --purge remove pulseaudio
   
   sudo apt-get autoremove
   
   sudo apt-get remove pulseaudio-utils
   sudo apt-get remove pulseaudio-module-conf
   sudo apt-get remove pulseaudio-module-hal
   sudo apt-get remove pulseaudio-module-x11
   sudo apt-get remove libpulsecore5
   sudo apt-get remove gstreamer0.10-pulseaudio
   sudo apt-get remove libpulse-browse0

6. Reboot
7. Check Alsamixer settings, master may be reset to zero:
   

   $ alsamixer -Dhw

6. Install the following software:
• thunderbird
  
• skype (see medibuntu.org)
  
• compizconfig-settings-manager
  
• avant-window-navigator
  
• subversion
• banshee
• amarok
• acroread (see medibuntu.org)
  
• gnome-do
• eid card reader (see http://eid.belgium.be/nl/)
• k3b
• virtualbox (http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Linux_Downloads)
• gvim
  
• optional:network-manager-vpnc, xchat, bittorrent/deluge, gFTP
• openssh-server (see http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/ubuntu-linux-openssh-server-installation-and-configuration/)