If your a general computer user Blether and don't do gaming etc... switch to Linux mint or Xubuntu you wont regret it and your computer/laptop will work faster.

You can make a live bootable OS on a USB that will work on pretty much any computer.

A lot of people are making the switch since win 10 came out and the spyware rolled down to 7 and 8 too.

Mint is supported until 2019 even though the guy in this video says 2016, best of all everything is free and there is a great support base/forum/IRC mint help chat room.

It depends how much ram and what speed processor you have, on which would be the best desktop environment IMO.

Strictly speaking I'm a UNIX man even if I'm still to have a first look at LINUX. Having said that I have no problem saying that for lots of people Windows started to get nice with Xp, W7, on Desktops that is.

I think you look for different features if you look for a mobile phone OS, or for a tablet, phablet, AIO, desktop, gaming.

BTW when you upgrade on a device with limited memory and storage space you might consider cleaning up and removing what you don't need. Windows/10 is supposed to keep your old OS for 30 days (you can still go back in that time) and cleanup after. Rumours have it the cleanup is not perfect.

'we' computer nerds like to 'improve' on things.

In 2002 I bought a new Compaq Presario running W/Xp with Pentium 1.7Ghz, 128MB, 40GB disk, CD-RW and over the years increased memory, added disks, changed to DVD+RW, LCD screen. Still dubbing about a 'more' modern Graphics board, but the box start to break down. If a buy a nice second hand desktop I could still stick to Windows/Xp although it's no longer maintained, but playing movies in MP4 or newer format started to drag the PC to its knees. Newer Windowses mostly require newer type of hardware, but Windows/7 ain't bad at all.

I'm now using a (company provided) notebook and moved it from Windows/7 to Windows/8.1. Mostly OK, but I still wonder about 2 out of 8 GB memory being 'used' before I even get a chance to login.