Newb Questions

Hi all,
I have some simple questions that it would be awesome if someone could help me with. First off, I know that SDL 2.0 is now in alpha and I was wondering if I should use SDL 1.2.15 or SDL 2.0 for my project? Secondly, and much more embarrassingly, if using SDL 1.2.15 is the better, more stable option how do I properly link the .dll to comply with the licence agreement. Specifically, by linking the library as a shared object.

Thanks,
Masterlaw

SDL 2.0 is in RC stage now. So it is ready to use.