RAID software raid... confusion easy ubuntu method ?

[Gabriel Noronha]

A New computer arrived today. 

What i want do to with it ? use the 2 x 500 GB drives in RAID 1 to have
a ubuntu desktop install and vmware, which will contain a windows 2000
install to support old legacy software. 

Need help with: RAID and should i 64 bit or not. 

The Motherboard is a giga-byte GA-P35-DS3P [0] which contains a Intel
ICH9R RAID controller, i didn't really know about software RAID when i
brought it and thought intel good they support linux and Phoronix [1]
gave it 9/10 in a review it all must work 

Ok i've discovered it's a software raid... and what that means... (poor
linux support) 

The software raid seems horrible, and I'm not sure where to go from now
on ? 

What are my options for getting a RAID1 set up keeping in mind i
actually *only* want Ubuntu on this machine ?

Is there a linux software raid which is nicer than the one which has to
work with windows ?

2nd question will installing 64bit ubuntu make vmware more buggy ? 

Aside question since every 2nd new motherboard these days ships with
"RAID" why is it so hard to set it up on Ubuntu. 

Gabriel

[0]
http://www.giga-byte.com.au/Products/Motherboard/Products_Overview.aspx?ProductID=2630
[1] http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=832&num=1