So X sucks, now what do we do about it?
X is the graphical framework used on Unix, as in the standard – and it has two free implementations – the old XFree86, and the refurbished X.org (for a good overview of what is X, and what everyone is talking about these days, check out Free Software Magazine’s “Accelerated X Flame Wars!” article).
Problem is, that the X protocol was designed back in the 70s or something, with a lot of future thinking – but that future is what we now call “past”, way way back. So its showing its age. Since there isn’t anything new to replace it (there were several contenders, but none that made it), and X does offer some important and cool features you’d find in nowhere else these days – remote display, being the most important – X is still the display engine used on todays Unix/Linux workstations.