This is an astonishingly common question with many common answers, most of which are bad. If you have been given an answer that involved a specific distro, you have probably been misled. Here is a more in-depth answer.

To begin with, different Linux distributions aren't that different. They differ in three primary ways: how they install, what packages they come with, and what the default settings are. Those are the only major differences. It's kind of like asking "Which version of Windows XP is better? The full or the upgrade?" because it's more or less the same thing. You can make any distro do the same thing as any other. It's just a matter of how to do it on each one.

Beyond that, the real question to ask is not which distro is best but rather which one is best for you. Here are some things to consider.

* Have you ever used Linux before?
* Do you understand how partitioning works?
* Do you want to use Linux on a desktop or a server?
* Can you make all the edits you need to manually, or will you need help from a GUI?
* Are you willing to pay for a Linux disto (or for the tech support)?

Here are a few of the common distros and a brief description of who might want to consider using them.

Red Hat
If there was an industry standard for Linux, this would be it. If you want to run a Linux server in a corporate environment, this is still the most common way to go. Red Hat has had a strong toehold in the Linux desktop market, but this will be changing now that Red Hat is no longer free. Fedora (the free version of Red Hat) will be popular with some home users, but will probably just be an example of doing beta testing for free and won't be supported. If you want to or currently use Linux on a desktop, it's probably time to start looking somewhere else.

Mandrake
If you want to use Linux and Linux alone on your desktop and don't want to make a lot of changes by hand, give Mandrake a try. It's a good place to start and will have all the software you will likely need, but will fight you a bit when you try to tweak it a lot. If you want to build a home server, Mandrake will probably suit you just fine.

SuSE
SuSE is another posibility for a desktop Linux installation. The only drawback is that you will have a hard time finding free CD images online of the most current release. You can, however, do installs from the Web if you have a broadband connection. Additionally, SuSE makes "live CDs" available of the most current release to test it out. Keep an eye on this distro now that it has been bought by Novell. This is likely to result in either a stronger Netware or a weaker SuSE.

Knoppix
If you are just wanting to try out Linux without doing damage to your current operating system, do yourself a favor and get a Knoppix CD. You boot into Linux, do whatever you want, and shut down with no risk of changes to your system being saved! Even if you are a Linux guru, Knoppix CDs are handy tools when you need Linux's power but don't have access to your Linux box.

Slackware
Slackware has a following that goes back about as far as the Red Hat following. Slackware is one of the most flexible distros of Linux out there, but is definitely not for the beginner. It's a good choice if you know exactly what you need to do and exactly what packages you need installed.

Gentoo
Gentoo is, like Slackware, extremely flexible. But again, it is not for the beginner. If you want complete control of your Linux system, this is the way to go.

Lindows
Don't waste your time. Linux and Windows are like peanut butter and ketchup. They are both fine on their own, but that doesn't mean you want to stir them together on your plate.