Python or Ruby for a newbie - Winner is Python!

[Scrumpy]

Hi all,

I'd been searching for a high level programming language to learn. I hadn't 
previously programmed in a real language i.e. dBASE but only through the 
control center, Approach 3 and Access 2 and that was a few years ago.

A flexible language that could be used for various purposes was what I was 
looking for, as opposed to two (or more!) specialized langauges.

Python rose to the top of my list during my search but recently I also 
added Ruby as a possible candidate. To be honest, I'd only recently heard 
about Ruby but it sounded quite promising.

I'd posted two or three times to this Python newsgroup and always received 
replies (a good sign of a supportive community) but my two recent posts to 
the Ruby newsgroup garnered zero replies!

Even though Ruby has been around for about seven years, it appears that the  
Ruby community is focused on supporting existing programmers and not (at 
all?!) on promoting Ruby as a first langauge.

FYI, I've pasted below my shorter, second posting to the Ruby newsgroup. As 
I had already discounted other langauges, I was interested in finding out 
if there were Ruby equivalents of various Python tools, modules etc.:

---------------------------------------

Subject: Ruby for Newbie?!
Newsgroups: comp.lang.ruby

I want to learn a programming language.

I'm primarily looking for a langauge to develop web apps and cgi. I would 
also like to create GUI apps and perhaps use it for some network admin 
tasks. I'll create apps on, and for, Linux and MS Windows.

I'd narrowed down my choice to Python until I came across Ruby ;-)

Is there currently a Ruby equivalent of the following Python related tools, 
modules, libraries etc.:

1/ Tools to create standalone apps to ease distribution i.e. no need to 
have Ruby installed or to ensure no conflicts between the version of Ruby 
used to develop the app and a different installed version.

Python: Installer & py2exe.
RUBY: ?

2/ IDE.
Python: Boa Constructor, Pythonwin, IDLE.
RUBY: Practical Ruby (basic IDE for Windows). Is there a Linux IDE for 
Ruby?

3/ GUI toolkits/libraries. My preference is towards using wxWindows.
Python: wxPython, PyQt, PyGTK.
RUBY: ?

4/ Web platforms/frameworks etc.
Python: mod_snake, mod_python, Webware.
RUBY: mod_ruby - any comments about it's stability/suitability for web app 
development? Any Ruby equivalent to Webware and it's PHP like (psp) 
function?

5/ One file Interpreter i.e. to use on a shared hosting co.'s server that 
doesn't have Ruby installed.
Python: mxCGIPython (uses the freeze tool).
RUBY: ?

Is there an 'offical' Ruby binary for Windows? It looks like there are 
three unofficial ones created using three different compilers!

Finally, is there a good Ruby book aimed at newbie programmers (not 
existing programmers new to Ruby)?

Thanks,
Scrumpy :)

---------------------------------------

Python's community support and availability of resources helped make up my 
mind that Python will be my first programming language.

Thanks Pythoners! :-)

Scrumpy :)