Me too, and I have to agree that a stock Tab sucks. I've done some things with mine that have made it much faster and enjoyable:
1. I rooted it with z4. It's a reversible process.
2. I froze all unwanted apps with Titanium Backup Pro... all the Verizon bloatware and trial games. I haven't deleted them yet in case Samsung and Verizon ever decide to update us to Honeycomb; once I feel comfortable they won't, I'll delete them for good.
3. I'm using ADW Launcher Pro to customize the look and app drawer.
4. I installed the One Click Lag Fix.
5. I use SwiftKey keyboard and Dolphin browser.
6. I turned haptic feedback off. It saves battery, and it feels like it makes the device faster since it doesn't have to waste time processing every little tap.
Combined, it all adds up to an infinitely better experience. No lock-ups, and the thing just flies! I feel sorry for my mom, who has a stock Tab and is always having issues like yours. I'm going to root hers too, but like I said, I want to see what Samsung and Verizon are going to do by way of updates. She's just learning Android, and I didn't want to confuse her with rooting