Chipppy
Download the DVD (the DL is just for upgrades and for the demo video, etc) I would stick with i386 not AMD64 - anecdotally it is more stable and you get little extra performance from 64bit.
Use the Torrent to download as it will ensure data integrity as it goes - that is important.
Use MD5sum to check the download is good.
Burn at the slowest possible speed!!!
Use an ISO burner (eg PowerISO) don't just burn the .iso to a disk... you are using the .iso as an image to create a disk, you don't just want to put the iso on a disk as a file, that is different.
RC2 means Release Candidate 2 - which is the somewhat mysnomic final version! That is all you need.
Concentrate on getting compatible hardware as this is the most important thing for a smooth experience. eg nVidia 6200-7300 Later ones you will need to download the latest drivers from nVidia - look up Display Drivers in the wiki. Sound chip and NIC chip are the 2 other important things to look at.