Baldur's Gate 2: Throne of Bhaal Q&A

im just wondering if what is the best equips for a sorcerer that uses offensive spells like this is my first time in GBII
and what are the good equips for resistance to spells and status??

I am playing Baldur's Gate Part II right now on GameTap but I cannot get the tutorial to load and I cannot figure out how to cast spells. Several of my characters have spells, some memorized, some learned. But how do I move them down into my "useable" areas. I...