I would avoid the Andromedans for now. Their stuff works considerably differently from anything else and you really need to know their stuff to use it correctly (or effectively).
There is in fact an online version of SFB, which might be helpful for people who can't find local opponents. It's a Java client, so it's PC/Mac/Linux compatible.
SFB Online
It is not free though, due to licensing issues they have to pay a fee for using the SSDs and such, so it runs $60 for a year's subscription, but it does give you access in electronic form to
IIRC all the ships in the game.
You do still need to know the rules though, it doesn't automate everything and there is a learning curve to using it.
Jeff's advice is solid.
I found small fleet battles to be the most fun, since it lets you use a larger variety of ships and the tactics get more interesting (once you know the rules well enough). But even small fleet battles (3 ships each) will take hours to run.
It is also much, much more fun if you can get several people (4+), particularly for single ship duels. Since with just two people, things tend to fall into certain patterns. With multiple people there's a lot more variety, both in ships and tactics. Things also tend to be a lot more fluid and dynamic.
A lot of the game is essentially trying to out think your opponent and anticipate their likely behavior. If you can do this, you will crush your opposition.
If you have any specific questions, don't hesitate to ask.
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