In the end, “better” proved subjective. For those seeking the latest security posture and modern compatibility, the full, supported path was the only sensible road. For others, especially those with constrained hardware or a deep craving for predictability, a carefully pared-down edition offered a curious advantage: the comfort of familiarity, combined with an efficiency honed by omission.

: Distributions like Xubuntu or Lubuntu are free, actively updated with modern security patches, and will run smoothly on hardware that struggles with modern Windows.