I hate recommending software too hard since it's so heavily dependent on your situation.

If you're able to get Debian of some variety working, I think it is very simple to use.

If it doesn't work easily, Ubuntu is like debian but has more proprietary drivers.

There are also different window managers you can use that look and act differently.

The simplest thing to do is to get a live CD for debian and see if it works right away. If not, maybe try live CDs for the Ubuntu versions.

Dunno about other options, I only really know those two anymore.