What OS to install?

[Tempokai]

My ye olde PC HDD had died. I ordered an external SSD to "temporarily" replace it. It will be delivered tomorrow. Now, I'm stuck in choosing OS for it.

First, Windows. Ded HDD had windows 7 installed in it, and... let's say it ran like a dying tortoise during a half marathon in a Gobi desert. I can pirate win10 stripped down version without the bloatware, but it's too much hassle because it will be run on USB 2.0 connection and probably SSD will die faster than I expect it.

So, it is Linux time. I use Ubuntu on a USB stick for now, and while it's clean, I for some reason get squashfs errors seldom, so I don't know. Maybe it's just my problem, it still runs slow like the old HDD that died.

Another is Linux Mint, but I never used it. They say it's faster than Ubuntu, and it's just like Windows, but it's harder than Ubuntu, they say.

What I will do with the old PC? Write, browse the Net, and probably play Terraria and other 10+ old games on it. What to choose?

 

[Sleds]

Why not buy a one time key for windows 10 for something between 10-20$?

 

[owotrucked]

you can buy windows one time key for few cents
I heard microsoft has been trying to move their strategy to make money (like trying to get you a microsoft email acount and selling your data lmao)

we don't even know your criteria for choosing the OS so why dont you throw darts to choose?

 

[Tempokai]

we don't even know your criteria for choosing the OS so why dont you throw darts to choose?

Okay, the problem is that I have only 100 GB of space on SSD and I need to conserve disk space and cope with the fact that max speed will be 50 mb/s due USB 2.0 ports, I need smallest OS but at same time enough to perform what I listed than old hdd.

Also, win10 keys for cents? I need to find about it.