Issues installing Linux on OLD laptop

I would like to install a user friendly distro on this old laptop for my sister:

IBM Thinkpad i Series 1300 (Type 1171, Model 6XU)
10GB HD
64MB PC100 RAM
Currently running Windows NT 2000 Pro

I initially attempted to install Ubuntu 8.04 from CD, but apparently that needs 300+MB of RAM to work (it would hang at the Ubuntu loading screen after I picked a language) so I attempted Puppy 4.1.2 which would hang with this on the screen: "loading kernel drivers needed to access disk drives..." I then tried Debian which eventually comes back and says it doesn't have the drivers for the CD drive, which is interesting cause its running from the CD drive... anyway I don't have a floppy to attach to add any drivers, although I think I found some on the Lenova website... the Ethernet port is busted, although I might be able to use a wireless PCMCIA card, but that is one more driver i would need... anyway I am kind of at a loss.

Any ideas?, I don't know my way around linux but I can figure things out? is there another distro I should look into?

> user friendly

this means graphical user interface: you need more ram. Get a 128 mb PC100 chip
upping the machine to 194, and then try again. You might also look at "linux-on-laptops"
to see what other owners have done.

The machine only has one memory slot... but I will def be looking for the biggest stick I can find. linux-on-laptops... good idea, thanks!