Hate is a harsh word. I wonder what there is to hate. I have been using Hardy
for weeks now with no problems. Given that 8.04 is a Long Term Support release
and 7.10 is not, I would think that it would be preferable to work out the
problems with Hardy than to go back to 7.10. Also, I wonder how current your
copy is. It is not due for final release until Thursday. If your copy is older
and you have not kept it up-to-date, it is unfair to blame 8.04. There have been
daily updates of anywhere from 20 to 80 packages per day for the last while.

If your CD ROM is not functioning properly then you can try other installation
methods, including doing a network or usb installation (flash or external
drive). There is also the wubi-installer if you have Windows already installed.
You will probably have to download the alternate CD.

....softpedia.com/.../...-Methods-for-Gutsy-69157.\
shtml
www.ubuntugeek.com/install-ubuntukubuntuedubuntuxubuntu-without-cdrom-dri\
ve.html

If you want to try other distros then you should. You need to compare and find
what works best for you and meets your needs.

Try SimplyMEPIS: www.mepislovers.org/.../manual7_4-2.html
or these with other distros:
polishlinux.org/.../
www.think....org/.../Installation_on_ThinkPads_without_CD-ROM_drive