4. Buying/Downloading Linux

Linux comes in multiple flavors as mentioned above, but which one is right you? If you are a newbie to the Linux community then you should go with a distribution like Red Hat or Mandrake since it's designed with an impressive friendly Graphical User Interface (GUI), and that includes the whole installation process. You can go a long time without using the terminal service window or the text based interface for a while even trough you will have to eventually. If you believe that you are a very quick learner and appreciate hard challenges then you can go with a distribution like Debian or Slcakware, but for a total newbie that is not recommended.
Now, if you don't mind spending money or simply do not have bandwidth to download Linux, you can purchase Red Hat, Mandrake, or many other Distros at you local computer store. For your convenience you can also order it online. Another option you have is install it via FTP, meaning that your computer will download all the necessary files for the installation from a dedicated site online and install it for you. But usually the best and easiest way is to download the CD ISO files (images of the actual CD) and burn it on to a few CDs. So these are the ways to get Linux. Here are some sites for your reference: www.redhat.com, www.suse.com, www.debian.com, www.mandarake.com.

5. Hardware Capability

To avoid any possible problems while installing Linux, it is a very good idea to make sure that all your hardware (meaning all the physical devices in your computer) have Linux drivers available. Here is a site that will help you out determining exactly that http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/
Most hardware out there will work, but there are some rare exceptions. Usually the stuff that will not function is either very old or very new. If your a junky running some system from the 80s then there is a good chance your Linux Distribution will not have the necessary drivers built in but most of the time you will be able to find them and install'em manually later on. If there is a device that just came out then it becomes just a matter of time before drivers are created by some hero hacker out there.
So lets consider that you checked out all your hardware and your old modem is listed as 'incompatible.' Well, in order to avoid any possible problems while installing Linux (like a dead freeze) you might want to remove it out of your computer temporarily. After the install is finished you can put it back in to your system so your other OSes like M$ Windowz still have access to it. But if all hardware is good to go, or you just wanna take a chance on it, carry on to the next section.