kubuntu & unbuntu

[mf h]

I am trying to install kubuntu on a laptop computer made by www.uniwill.com The computer is a U50SI1 which I gather appears on their web site as a U40!
 
 
I had problems so I cam across an article that said install unbuntu first. 
 
so, I tried that.
 
unbuntu 8.04 hung in the middle of some acpi messages
 
 
ubuntu 7.04 & 6.10 got further; they both see, to seem to be having problems with the SIS  5513 IDE controller.
 
The exact place I get to in the sequence is random, which seems to be a consequence of this controller if I understand what the web is saying. It also seems to be starting up the USB controller & I get a number of USB messages, none of which look wrong to me.
 
I have tried adding a range of boot params such as 
 
all-generic-ide 
 
pci=noacpi
 
noapic
 
 
which I have had suggested by various boot sequences; none of these seem to have any effect.
 
 
http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-634063.html suggests that there is a kernel fix, but I am too much of a kubuntu novice to understand the solution if there is one.
 
Help greatly appreciated as my daughter needs kubuntu for her university course
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