Did you manage to install Debian Linux? I also told you to use KDE or LXDE or XFCE, as they resemble WinXP. And debian.org provides a lot of information. Don't use Ubuntu. It can't be installed on older computers from LiveDVD.

By beginner, I mean even with windows. I've only been using a computer at home for 2 years, and before that, only at libraries. My used laptop came with XP. I've never taken any computer classes, or anything related - not even in high school.

Did you manage to install Debian Linux? I also told you to use KDE or LXDE or XFCE, as they resemble WinXP. And debian.org provides a lot of information. Don't use Ubuntu. It can't be installed on older computers from LiveDVD.

I've only seen that if they only have a CD drive only! :) You could use a USB drive? I've seen Ubuntu run great on older machines. I believe it's the most popular free Linux, and I've been able to find much on youtube for help.

You can make a full installation of Puppy Linux:puppylinux.org/wikka/InstallationFullHDD
 I prefer full over frugal. Frugal installs will nag you with save files... and save files have a fixed size limit.
Also, I tried to install normal Ubuntu on my old computer via Wubi, but it crashed upon loading. The system didn't seemed to load from LiveUSB on my old computer (I didn't get further than the accessibility info screen). You can try Lubuntu or Xubuntu, but I caution against Ubuntu derivatives. GPU lockups are very common in them (Linux Mint is very prone to it), especially if you use nVidia.
If you have a x64 computer, then normal distributions with x64 versions are to be installed. Not selecting the right arch will also lead to GPU lockups. The signs of GPU lockups are screen freeze, then a glitch screen.
Also, you can learn using the desktop environments from their manuals.
KDE (if you have a K letter in place of Start button):http://www.kde.org/docuмentation/
LXDE (bird):http://lxlinux.com/
XFCE (mouse):http://docs.xfce.org/
But if your desktop does not resemble Windows, has two taskbars and three menus instead of a single Start button substitute, then it's GNOME 3 in fallback mode, as older computers don't neccessarily tolerate normal GNOME 3, which ilooks like a crossover of a Mac and a smartphone.

By Linux support site do you mean like forums or do you mean a specific distribution. I would highly recommend to use a Debian based distro, such as Ubuntu especially when starting out. Once you get a little more comfortable in the CLI, and start learning some basic bash etc... You can be able to go into more DIY distro's such as Slackware, Gentoo etc...

Unix & Linux Stack exchange, Linuxquestions.org, linux.org, Unix Linux forum, Linux Distro community forums, there is also the particular wiki associated with your distro you can be able to use that one also. Youtube is great for looking up tutorials. I would also recommend installing some program where you can talk in IRC, and go to Freenode for help.

I would also recommend buying a few books for reference sometimes its more handy. I can also share with you if you are interested some books that might help out.

The main thing is that do not get scared, Linux has become so much easier now that the barrier to entry is pretty much limited now. Most hardware works out of the box now, and you can get your web surfing docuмent writing done with Linux free software. It also seems like a more catholic approach to software, and it seems to make more sense. Take the time to learn it well and you will be grateful that your time was well spent. For any job some computer technical skills it helps, and it also gives you a geek edge over other users. Plus you join a pretty good community of people who are very freindly and willing to help.

Hope that helps a bit!

If you have a x64 computer, then normal distributions with x64 versions are to be installed.

How do I find out if I have an x64 computer?

By the way, my computer is a Dell Latitude 600.