Ubuntu is killing my laptop

I guess alternative OSes are just too advanced for me. I can't seem to stop Ubuntu (Dapper Drake) from overheating my ASUS W3J. It starts at 70 degrees and slowly rises after startup, even though it's idle. Meanwhile in Windows, it averages 53 to 55 degrees. After reading some forum posts, it seems that the solution requires recompiling the kernel or something, so that Ubuntu can access the fans or throttle the processor. This seems like a really nice OS, but I'll have to stick with Windows until I can really look into the problem.

What irks me is some forum posters writing that it's not a OS problem, it's the manufacturer's fault. If the laptop stays cooler in Windows, how can it be a hardware problem? I think Ubuntu should have more built in GUI support for laptops, like ACPI and suspend modes. A new user like me won't know about things like command-line configuration and recompiling the kernel.

I really hope nothing went wrong with my laptop after that experience. Argh.