I'm a Keen Linux User ( w/ Moderate Linux 'Xperience & Understanding ( Mandrake/iva, Xandros, kNoppix, Simply Mepis / Lite )), But I'm Also Trying 2
Do My Bit 2 Save th' Planet by Re-Instating Legacy PC Hardware ( I've Drawn a Line in th' Sand o' MMX Pentium 166 MHz, 64 MB RAMemory, 800 x 600 res... that which is Minimum Spec' I'd Typically Install W98 On & Would Wish Relatively Comparible Performance, All Things Being = o' Course! ).

Intent on Discovering a Linux Distro that's Got Good Hardware Compatibility, Runs on th' Above Stated Spec's Reasonably Responsively, User Friendly ( EZ Windo's Migration ), EZ Install...etc Other Issues Include: 1.
I Want 2 Automatically mnt a Secondary Hard D' Drive as /Home Directory @ Boot, How? 2. How Do I Install PnP ISA Modem & Sound Card Drivers?

Primary Objectives being Web Surfing, Sending & Receiving fE-Mail, Word Processing, SpreadSheets, CDs' & Simple Games... U Get th' Idea, Just th' Basics. ( While Still having Y'r Cake etc... Th' Advantages o' a Modern OS
Stable, Secure, VirusFree, MaintainenceFree ( No D-Fragging ), & So on... ). What D' Ya kNo'? Or Am I Being Just Too Optimystical? Thanx!

is there really any need for all those abbreviations and junk? it just makes posts hard to read...

you are being just to optimistic.

First off, let me cry for a bit, as i can read your crappy writing fine. Second, i find a lot of people dont really read that well, at least on things like yours, so you might want to tighty that up a bit.

my advise, start learning Linux, as if you want good speed on those specs, some hand compiling would go a long way (look at the distro LFS i would recommend). The 2nd drive is no big deal, here how the *nix boot process works:

1) boot loader loads up and executes the kernel with arguments passed to say what drive and partition is the root partition to mount. The root partition is mounted by default on kernel startup, as read only.
2) Once the kernel is all loaded, it calls /sbin/init. This program is usually old, it uses /etc/inittab as its config file, which defines the run-levels. When init is started, it executes a program (usually a script), its location is defined in the config. Then it goes into a run-level, and on entering a run-level, it calls another executable for that run-level (defined in the config with the run-level).

Its these init-scripts that do things like mount things at startup. Because of init's poor design for modern needs, most distros just have init call make a call to another program/script the distro provides that calls more scripts. This lets the distro have its own startup system, and one thats more modular then one big script. So that drive thing depends on the distro (unless you make the init scripts by hand, then you can just add the right line).

drivers are a kernel issue. You have 3 choices (well, 2 really). First off, you can compile the kernel with support for all the possible drivers you want, or you can compile the support for all the drivers you want as modules. You could also compile the modules after kernel install, this would be for like 3rd party drivers (from the manufacturer) that you probably will never use/need (as manufacturers/vendors just dont really release Linux drivers, at least not that often).

now, easy install is very umm, subjective. I think LFS was a very easy install, and debian a royal pain. Some say LFS is hard to install, and no newbie can do it (which just isn't true), while distros like Linspire have easy install (which i hate their installer). So make up your own mind on easy install .... As for windose, what do you mean?

*if one distro can support some hardware, they all do, its all a matter of compiling (which you can do yourself, if you know how ... its not hard, just need some geting used to, LFS is the way to go to learn by experince at compiling)