[clug] Recommendation for a Linux Distro to replace Win-XP

[steve jenkin]

I have a retired friend who has an old Dell PC (2nd-hand from ANU) and,
"it works Just Fine" for them. They found the Gmail browser interface
"confusing", so I needed to setup MS-Outlook with a new account. They've
sort-of got the hang of that after a few weeks, but it's still a stretch...

They're already using Firefox and Libre Office, so most of the job of
converting to FOSS is already done.

But they rely on MS-Outlook (Express).
My first preference is to migrate them to Thunderbird or other FOSS
email client, but I expect I have to keep

I know from my older friends in Sydney who've happily learned Ubuntu as
well as they ever knew Win-XP, that these folk can cope well with new
environments, though do tend to equate Firefox with Linux...
But that's not a hill I need to defend, only accept and move on.

I'm looking for 3 specific recommendations for the community:

 - A Linux Distro for someone who's "just a user" and used to Win-XP.
   I'll do the setup & migration, so that's not an issue.
   - I've normally recommended/installed an Ubuntu LTS,
     but would like good current options. Fedora is OK with me.

 - A way to run MS-Outlook (Express).
   Is it stable under WINE and/or CrossOver Office?
   Or is it "lipstick on a pig" and avoid like the plague?!?!

 - I'd *prefer* to move them to native Linux tools, but only if
   the change doesn't stress them (i.e. looks/works similarly)
   I use Thunderbird only because I haven't bothered to
   look for a replacement. [mutt failed me. don't ask.]
   - Can you recommend email clients that my friend could try?
     T'bird vs SeaMonkey?
     Others?
   - necessary requirement is to import address book and messages.

My friend already pays for a subscription to a Virus scanning service.
 - What do they need on popular Linux Distro? [nothing?]
 - Anything that the community would recommend or warn against?

Thanks in Advance
steve

PS: I'll probably get her to buy some more (DDR2?) RAM and a small SSD
disk when I do this :-)
Be nice to sell the change as "it's faster and better", while allowing
me to keep the old disk on a shelf as a fail-back. Win-XP is out of
support in a year...

-- 
Steve Jenkin, Info Tech, Systems and Design Specialist.
0412 786 915 (+61 412 786 915)
PO Box 48, Kippax ACT 2615, AUSTRALIA

sjenkin at canb.auug.org.au http://members.tip.net.au/~sjenkin