May I recommend Ubuntu/Kubuntu? I burned the ISO myself and installed it on my second hard drive. Installation and setup went flawlessly. It found all of my old hardware. The installation included a browser, Open Office, and all of the programs a person needs to begin with. Although I'm really a Windows person and need help "crossing over," the interface is very friendly. Adept makes downloading and installing updates and new software as easy as any Windows installation.
I have a dual-boot Kubuntu/WinXP laptop. I only use WinXP to back up VHS tapes and convert them into DVDs (with my WinTV USB TV tuner). (I use WinDVR3 to record, TMPGEnc DVD Author to convert the MPEGs into DVD content, then I use DVDshrink and Nero to burn the DVDs.)