I just installed Ubuntu on a Gateway Laptop, and need a tad bit of help?

Ubuntu forums are the way to go here.
Being a Linux user means reading a lot of forums.

Are you pretty confident that the wireless card in the laptop is working and that the network itself is functioning properly?

You may need to adjust the security settings on your router.

is it 32 or 64 bit? when I installed 64 bit a laptop, I had problems with the wireless too, however, the 32 bit worked fine. maybe that might help a bit.

There’s a very extensive guide available on wireless networking problems.

Cool applications depend on what you do with your computer. Cool stuff in general would include GNOME Do and a lot of people also seem to like a dock like AWN or the Docky theme for GNOME Do. I can probably think of more if you really want me to :)