What is the best Linux distro for beginners?

Answer 1

As Linux can be tailored to suit different needs, many contradictory, there is no single distro that is perfectly adapted to all of them. And "best" is a matter of opinion; some may think one looks better than another; some may want more features while others want better performance on lower-end hardware.

Answer 2

Several Linux distributions can be considered "easy to use" or "newb-friendly", such as Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xandros, or OpenSUSE. Rather than recommending just one, I would suggest you try several of them. That way, if one of them isn't to your liking, you aren't put off from Linux altogether. All of the distros I named above, and many more, can access Windows partitions, run Wine (for running some Windows programs), and can import bookmarks and settings from Windows if you choose to dual-boot. Xandros costs about $85; the rest are free. You can even order Ubuntu and Kubuntu CDs free of charge.

Answer 3

That is really a matter of opinion; many distributions are touted as being "easy to use." Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS, Mandriva, Puppy Linux, Xandros, OpenSUSE, and others try to make this claim to fame. I would recommend, if you have the resources, to try all of them and see the wide variety of choices you have, before making your decision.

Answer 4

This is fairly subjective but:

Linux Mint (fairly easy)

Ubuntu (most popular)

Arch Linux (very well documented)