[Fred_Garvin]

I'm a beginner using 2 systems:

Justin Guitar - Beginner course and 2 Beginner Songbooks. Fantastic resources for free on the website, setup your account and Practice Assistant. Use the YouTube videos and the coursework on the web. Free.
Approach: Teaches chords, chord changes and simple songs to play. Gradually introduces more advanced techniques as you progress, but gets you strumming along immediately.

Gibson Learn & Master - Older system but very, very complete and formal. 20 Lessons, 20 Bonus Sessions, Videos, Play along tracks and lots of legacy stuff online. Steve Krenz is now leading Guitar Gathering, an evolution of the L&M and hosts Live Lessons on Tuesdays, YT.
Approach: Initially single notes on the first 5 frets. Sight reading Treble Clef and playing songs, to a metronome or backing tracks. Proceeds to more complex techniques but gets you used to sight reading music and playing without looking at your hands. More difficult than Justin Guitar, but eventually will far surpass anything JG has going. L&M will take years to complete all 20 lessons.

Everyone learns differently and responds to different approaches. Personally I do well with both JG and L&M. One day I'll work on one, then the other the next day. Sometimes I'll do L&M in the morning, then JG in the evening. I try to formally practice 5 days a week, and get in some "noodling" time just whenever the urge strikes.

If it's chords and strumming you're after, check out Justin Guitar and get yourself setup. ALOT of it is totally free, and if you decide to purchase his books, they're extremely high quality spiral bound with coated covers and heavy stock paper. WELL worth the extra cost his stuff is.