There's some really good recommendations in here, but we can't settle on what to recommend for you without a little more info.

• Are you planning to game on it? (as in computer game, not ttrpg)
  • If yes, use Bazzite. (it's already set up for gaming, and it's "immutable" which means that it'll be hard for you to break)
• If not, what experience do you prefer more:
  • Windows 7
    • Use Linux Mint (Cinnamon Edition)
  • Windows 10 (but without all the cortana, and bing stuff)
    • Use PopOS
  • I want something Windows like, but I want more control over how I can customise it
    • Use Kubuntu
  • I want something Windows like, and I want more control to customise it, but I also don't want it to break if I start doing weird things to it
    • Use Kionite (Will look the same as Kubuntu from the outside, but will lock you out from doing or using certain things)

Which one should you pick?

The answer is No (and also yes).

Huh?!

The real answer is not to pick one, but to pick more than one. You can (one at a time) install each of them onto a USB then change your computer's settings to boot up from the USB instead of windows. That way you can try each one to see what you like without installing them on your computer first.

For each one you try, you can check:

• Do I like the interface?
• Are there any compatibility issues? (wifi issues, sound issues, graphics issues, etc...)
• Am I happy with how long the battery lasts?
• etc...

Then once you're ready, you can install the one you want to use onto your laptop.