Our verdict

If you want one recommendation and no reading, this is it. Linux Mint 22.3 keeps the familiar shape of a Windows desktop: a menu button bottom left, a taskbar along the bottom, a clock and icons bottom right. Almost nothing about moving around the screen needs relearning.

It is built on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, which means the parts underneath are tested for years before Mint ships them. Mint publishes a minimum of 2 GB of memory and 20 GB of disk space, and recommends 4 GB and 100 GB for comfortable use. Any machine sold in the last ten years clears that.

What you give up is newness. Software in the built in app store is a version or two behind, which matters for a handful of creative apps and almost nothing else. Games run through Steam, but you install and configure Steam yourself and results vary by title.

Best for: First-time switchers, Family computers, People who liked Windows 7.

What's good

Menu, taskbar and system tray sit where a Windows user expects them
Five years of updates on each release, so you can leave it alone
Driver and codec tools do the fiddly parts for you
Large, patient community and clear official documentation

What to know first

Ships slightly older software than faster-moving systems
The Cinnamon desktop looks plain next to macOS-styled options
Gaming works but you set up Steam yourself

The details

Memory (RAM) needed

2 GB minimum, 4 GB comfortable

Disk space needed

20 GB

Desktop look

Cinnamon (also: Xfce, MATE)

Updates

A new version every so often, stable in between

Supported for

5 years per version

Built on

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS