Or install Ubuntu Linux Hardy Heron!!! Just kidding.
MY Acer lappy does the same!!!! It runs like turtle even with 512mb ram, 1.8ghz processor, Graphic set to 128mb shared. On Desktop, I only have 6 icons by the clock (2 are active but rest are just for sound, network, power status that doesn't hurt memory tho). I even tried to turn off any hidden running program but none helped. My wife suggest that hard drive may die soon. I thought so cuz it was heavily used as a main computer. I just learn from information on one of other blog that guy who own Acer Aspire laptop similiar to mine and he said he was disappointed that Acer set two partition of hard drive causing it to run slllooww. So He removed partition and reformatted as entire drive then installed XP (He use recovery cd anyway) and finally his lappy ran fast and smooth. So that make me wonder about it cuz it's my 3rd time using recovery and haven't reformatted hard drive. I will plan on delete partitation and reformat as entire drive and see what it'll do to my lappy. If it runs much better then I'll let you know. Maybe you could do the same.
Also you might try experiment by powering on or rebooting your laptop and press and hold "SHIFT" key while booting into desktop. In that way it'll prevent any running programs from loading. If your lappy goes around fast without running program. You'll might want to turn off or delete any unneccessary running program like Weatherbug, AIM, ect... You don't want more than 5 or 6 running programs next to clock unless you have 1 or 2 gig of memory installed.
I've had a horror that several deafie asked me to fix their pc that had their desktop pc running slooooooww and taking them 30min finally finished loading and they had 15 running icons filled next to clock and their pc don't have much ram memory installed. 95% of their running icons that they DON'T use or don't need
(I've asked them "do you use this, that, those and what's the purpose for it!!!???" They say No I don't use. It's like a child with too many toys and parent help child to decide which to keep or throw out).
They said that they just download and installed it cuz they thought it'll fix their pc and other time the program had a cute bird popping out and say things. I told them they're malware!!! Sheesh!!
Catty