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The Linux distributions that offer a live CD are great for trying out Linux without making any alterations to your hard drive. You just simply change your boot order in the BIOS setup utility to make your CD/DVD ROM drive the first boot drive and then follow the instructions on the screen as the CD boots up. Most of those I have listed are ones that I think would be the best choice for a new user. Note: Running off of a CD drive is a little slower than a hard drive installation.
How to change your boot order
To get into the bios setup utility, press F2, Delete or the correct key or key combination that will put you into it, at the POST screen on boot-up, or the screen that displays the manufacturers logo. If you happen to miss pressing the key(s) in time, your computer will continue to boot into the operating system. If for some reason this won't work for your computer, and you can't figure out what key(s) to use, you can go to your computer manufacturers site such as Dell.com, HP.com, etc., and find the documentation for your particular model.
Once you are in the bios setup utility, you will see a menu on the bottom that tells you how to navigate in the utility. While you are in this utility, be careful not to change any settings, other than your boot order, or sequence. The wrong changes can severely affect the operation of your computer. Change your first boot device to CDROM, save your changes and exit. If your live CD is already loaded, it will boot right into Linux
openSUSE
As of this writing, openSUSE 11.1 has arrived. It can be downloaded as a Live CD or the whole 4.3 gigabyte install DVD. Second only in popularity to Ubuntu, it is a good choice for beginners and experienced users alike, with a choice of desktops. It is one of the few distros that does not seem to have any issues with my brand new hardware and one I highly recommend to anyone with a newer computer. Here are the minimum hardware requirements for openSUSE 11.1:
* Processor: Intel Pentium 1-4 or Xeon; AMD Duron, Athlon, Athlon XP, Athlon MP, Athlon 64, Sempron or Opteron
* Main memory: At least 256 MB; 512 MB recommended
* Hard disk: At least 500 MB for minimal system; 3 GB recommended for standard system
* Sound and graphics cards: Supports most modern sound and graphics cards
http://en.opensuse.org/Download
Ubuntu
Ubuntu is the most well known and popular desktop Linux distro at the present time. It does support a live CD, but is also easy to install. Ubuntu comes with the Gnome desktop and there is Kubuntu, which comes with the KDE desktop. Here is the home page for Ubuntu.
PCLinux
PCLinux is a live CD that can be installed to your hard drive. Their current main offering as of this writing is PCLinux2009 and is a very user friendly distro that uses the KDE desktop. It does not come with win32 codecs or DVD decryption software that is necessary for playing DVD movies, but can be installed through an easy to use Synaptic Package Manager. Proprietary Nvidia and ATI drivers are also available after hard drive install. Here is the home page for PCLinux. The download link is halfway down on the page.
Mepis
SimplyMepis is a live CD that can also be installed to your hard drive. Everything works "right out of the box" and also uses the KDE desktop. It is a Debian based distro and one I highly recommend for anyone wanting to try out Linux, with the least amount of configuration. Here is the home page for SimplyMepis.
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Getting Started 