The best advise someone gave me when I was starting out with using Linux was to use a distribution that your friends are using, as this means that there is a ready pool of help close by if and when you get desperately stuck... After one is a bit more used to the OS, then branch off and discover the best distribution for yourself...
That, unfortunately, is one of those questions that one can only answer for themselves, and everyone finds something different that is good or bad about the various distros according to their particular styles and uses of the OS...
Just my 2 cents worth... hope it helps...
AV
tnedor@yahoo.com