Debian's Installer isn't that hard to use. You just kinda need to have some common sense and take it slow if you're a beginner.
*
sarge-i386-businesscard.iso (34.1mb)
*
sarge-i386-netinst.iso (107mb)
The reason I might suggest debian is that you can download one of the above images and have a working OS. Then, you can just install what you need without having to download over 1 or 2 gigs of data for stuff you won't use.
Debian Installer FAQ
Debian GNU/Linux Installation Guide
**Please note that the above image (iso) links are of Debian Testing release and the current image of October 23, 2004.
2c5e730979463b0d8b7880d5658e3cda sarge-i386-businesscard.iso
6bb2bf7493b3525e37c05ba8760aec14 sarge-i386-netinst.iso