FC 8 install and lost add/remove software app

What I liked about the install:

  1. used FC 8 installation DVD and was able to get full install. S/w
     dev, etc. No need for large file downloads from repositories to
     get full system.

  2. went cleanly.

  3. step backward from FC 5 installation. Under FC 5, the installation
     process gave me the option of several installations
     configurations. FC 8 only gives me the option of s/w developer and
     server. Is that really the only options needed???


What I really disliked about the install:

  1. knows nothing about other operating systems on computer. Had
     installed Kubuntu Gutsy prior to FC 8. Kubuntu recognized ALL OSs
     on the system and set them up in GRUB. No problem. So I know that
     it can be done and done transparently to user during installation.
     FC 5 recognized the Windows P installation also. FC 8 is a huge
     step backwards in this respect.

  2. FC 8 installation nuked my Windows XP boot. Can no longer boot
     Windows XP. THIS IS EXTREMELY BAD AND TOTALLY UN-NECESSARY.
     Kubuntu respected the Windows XP boot and left it intact while
     installing Kubuntu and GRUB. The fact that FC 8 nuked the Windows
     XP boot files and made it unbootable and hence USELESS is
     UNFORGIVABLE. All those Windows XP programs that are necessary are
     totally unavailable now. FC 5 respected Windows XP, so it can be
     done and was done in the past by FC 5 also. FC 8 was installed
     over the FC 5 installation.

  3. FC 8 install program recognizes only Fedora Core OS. This also is
     totally un-necessary and unforgivable. FC 5 recognized and
     respected my Windows XP installation and left is intact. FC 8 has
     taken a HUGE step backwards in this regard. Shades of MicroSoft -
     FC 8 recognizes only Fedora Core installations and leaves all
     others out in the cold and in this instance renders one
     un-bootable. If Fedora Core controlled 90% market share, I could
     understand this behavior, I could not condone it, but I could
     understand it as I understand MicroSofts behavior, but do not
     condone. Their behavior is the huge reason I switched 99% of my
     computing to Linux and Fedora Core. Is Fedora Core trying hard to
     emulate MS in all things. Too bad. If you do not want to recognize
     other OSs, as least please respect their presence on the computer
     and DO NOT COMPROMISE their operation.

  4. Only Gnome was installed from the DVD. This may be because the
     provider of the DVD only installed Gnome on the DVD without saying
     so. Has Fedora Core switched entirely to Gnome? This wouldn't be
     too bad except for the next item on the list.

  5. After re-booting from the install, s/w updates needed to be
     applied. Accepted the option to do that. Download operation was
     reported as OK. s/w update then started and progressed until 1/2
     done - the update app then hung halfway through the update
     process. Gnome then terminated the update process as
     non-responding. This seems to have screwed the database royally.
     This was a really bad problem for me on FC 5 - the rpm database
     was constantly corrupted by the rpm software to update and install
     programs. It appears this has not been fixed 3 releases later in
     FC 8. I had hoped, but apparently to no avail.

     On second re-boot, notified that security updates were available.
     In checking the dependencies, a package, gnome-python2 =
     2.20.0-1.fc8, was not installed. Booted the add/remove app and the
     package was reported as installed. Then searched for Thunderbird
     (I MUCH prefer Thunderbird over Evolution), and clicked to have it
     installed. Clicked on "apply" and Thunderbird was downloaded and
     installed.

     BUT NOW the add/remove app is no longer available. The place where
     it resided on the pull down menus is NO LONGER there.

     I was going to use the app to download and install KDE so that I
     could use KDE which I much prefer over Gnome.

     I can no longer do that.

If that is not possible, do I have to re-install FC 8?