You may want to try the free 2.0 version on a test install to get your feet wet. It is fairly easy to upgrade to 3.06. You will either learn how to upload and set up a site or totally hate the whole concept in a few days. I actually suggest 3.06 as the better choice if you have ever installed scripts as in comes with a template chager and two extra templates. Many people are currently developing templates that are either free or low cost. You will also need a domain name and a hosting account. GoDaddy is excellent for domain registeration. For the hosting avoid GoDaddy and Dreamhost if you want to use PHPld. You will find a lot of helpful people here and at the PHPld forum who will help you get started.
you are all very helpful. I really appreciate that... I will try to register a domain and host in omnis.com first, any suggestion of this company?