Well, the "configure/make/make install" process *is* the basic way most software can be installed in Linux, but it is not *necessary* in most distros. ;)
In Mandrake, we have a command-line script called "urpmi", and a gui frontend to that script called "rpmdrake" (which is a subset of the Mandrake Control Panel).
If you haven't yet done so, click the link at the very top of this page that says "Easy-Urpmi", and follow the instructions on that page to get your repositories set up. Once that is done, *most* software installation can be accomplished in a "point-and-click" fashion!
To install software, just open the MCC ("Configure your computer" in the menu, or type "rpmdrake" in a konsole window), select Software --> software installation. Enter the name of the app you want in the search bar (e.g., irssi) and click "Search". Select the package found, and click the "Install" button. Dependencies are automagically taken care of for you. Or you can go strictly command line, and type (as root) "urpmi irssi", and again, everything will be done for you.
You only need to compile from source (which is what the "configure/make/make install" process is) for something that is either too new, or for some reason isn't available as a Mandrake RPM.