If I try to boot from the "The Official Damn Small Linux book" CD or from a CD-R with DSL-4.2.5.ISO (downloaded from the Internet and burned by myself), I get the boot prompt and after pressing enter:
"can't find KNOPPIX filesystem, sorry"

This is exactly the same for these 2 seperate CDs, and for my 2 computers: when I try to boot from my new ASUS with pre-installed Timbuktu and when I try this from the new Intel MacBook at my work.

What steps should I take. Remember I'm a newbie.
Thanks for any help that get me running DSL.
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New information
I already tried the following:

At the boot prompt type: "dsl sata"
this returns "checking for sata...
loading sata_vsc.o..."
After that nothing happens

Also I burned several new live CDs at a very low speed as image (not data)
problem was exactly the same: "can't find KNOPPIX filesystem, sorry"

Tried the same with several new live CDs of DSL-3.4.ISO
result was exactly the same: "can't find KNOPPIX filesystem, sorry"

So probably its not the CD...

Tried to make a live cd for puppy..iso, just to see what happens:
That works fine :-) (no compressed poppix?)

Sounds like the distro's you have tried don't have some of the drivers available for the hardware you want to mount.

Maybe it's best to try a different distro to achieve what you want?

So if I understand right, you think the best road to follow is trying and test drive some other small linux versions that work on the fly with the hardware I normally use and stick to that?

Then, I will just do that and forget about the damned small linux.
Thanks for your help