Linux GUI FAQ/tutorial?

[Octavian Rasnita]

Hi,

I use Linux everyday, but only in command line mode, with Secure CRT SSH 
client from Windows because I find the Linux gui very hard accessible.
In the last period I hear that more and more blind users use Linux with a 
GUI and I am sure I am missing something, because now Linux might be also 
better accessible.
Can you please tell me if this is true?

Can you tell me if (and which) Linux distributions are stable enough to 
compare them with Windows?

I ask about stability because I have tried a Vinux distro in a VMWare 
virtual machine, but after a few days I couldn't hear anything anymore 
because I might have done something bad (although I don't know to use the 
Linux GUI very good, so I haven't done very complicated things.
...and I wouldn't like to need reinstalling the VMWare image too often.

If you used an editor like TextPad or UltraEdit or Edit Plus under 
Windows... can you tell me if there is a similar editor available under 
Linux which is so simple to use? (So no strange old things like vi or 
Emacs).

I need to run my programs under Linux in production, and if the interface 
would be really as accessible as the one under Windows, it would be much 
more easy.

I don't need very many programs, but just a very good and simple to use 
editor, mail client, command prompt, file manager, and a browser that can 
also display the HTTP headers. Nothing more.
Is there an equivalent or even easier to use for TextPad, Outlook Express, 
MS DOS prompt, Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer?

If there is, please tell me if I can find somewhere information about how to 
use them with a screen reader and a software synthesizer under Linux.

The first things I would like to do is to set up the internet connection (if 
it is not configured automaticly when installing the VMWare image), start 
the command prompt, run cpan and install perl modules and also install some 
system libs with yum/apt-get.

Thank you very much for your help.

Octavian