So, if you want a user friendly Linux distro I heard Linux Mint is the way to go, I never use Linux before but I use OpenSuSE and that is really easy because it has this configuration manager called YasT that does everything for you, By everything I meant EVERYTHING.
When I started in Linux Ubuntu was the choice but they are changing their graphical interface and to tell you the truth I haven't figured out but I hear is easy too.

Good luck to you.

I like OpenSUSE, YaST is decent and zypper is a nice package management system. I use 11.4 at home and have been generally happy with it.

Mint is ok I guess, though I really dislike aptitude and the whole move toward "sudo" with no real root account. It rubs me the wrong way, so I generally avoid *buntu-based distros.

I absolutely hate Ubuntu, every version has been worse than the previous, and stability has really gone down the tubes in my opinion. The new DE "Unity" is atrocious. I won't even install Ubuntu in live versions anymore (cd/usb), as it's almost useless. Knoppix has been much better lately for live installations.

I generally stick to the Redhat-based distros though, RHEL, CentOS, and Fedora. Fedora can be a little finicky since it's updated so rapidly. Often times you'll do an update and some feature will break, then a week later you'll do another update and it'll start working again. As has been said by others, it's really a testbed distro for RHEL and CentOS. Sometimes that can be a pain, but at the same time Fedora is significantly more current than RHEL or CentOS. Even though Fedora reaches its EOL about a year after release, it's STILL more current than CentOS for an additional year or two, due to how badly CentOS lags behind. As an example, CentOS STILL doesn't support TRIM on solid-state disks, something Fedora has had since the spring of 2010. I do love yum though, kicks the pants off of all of the package management systems I've used on other distros.

I feel like putting my oar in and saying that the "best" Linux distribution and "the easiest" may not be the same and, in fact, the easiest may not be the best because it is too easy.
The "best" distribution is probably something like Slackware or Linux From Scratch because you only get what you need and things can be endlessly changed to make then "just right". An easy distribution is something like Ubuntu, which a lot of people, myself included, have gone off for various reasons including the fact sometimes it does too much for you -- it's "too easy".
So, having said that, I would say start with something like Linux Mint, Ubuntu or another "easier" distribution and find one which works on your hardware (although most ought to) and does what you want it it to. Then, once you know what Linux can do go off and try some more distros until you find one you like, even if it means more work.
When I started playing with Linux I tried a few distros and eventually settled on Kubuntu, then I found some problems with the way they did things and moved to Debian (no "harder" to use, in truth), now I'm trying to learn how more things work with a view to being more than just a "user" -- one day I might be on Gentoo, who knows?

I wouldn't suggest SlackWare to somebody who is new to Linux thought. Unless their purpose for the switch is learn Linux to the Core.
I do like SlackWare but I just started using it after 3 years in Linuxland.
OpenSuSE is perhaps the easiest distro I have actually installed. I tried the live CD of Mint and I got impressed they included all the media coded in their ISO file, which is first thing I installed after doing a fresh install

you can become root in a Ubuntu base distro by typing
Good luck to you.

Me neither, that was my point. When you begin you start on what is easiest or what suits you most -- then you can learn what is best and how that works.