I know this debate yes. And also that Clam AV might use valuable resources. You mentioned networking in a Windows environment, but it also counts when using Windows programs in WINE.

Cerainly a very good advice!

I have no stocks in MX I only use it in some specific cases. For my home pc I run Debian Sid / unstable.
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With KDE you can mimick the Apple look as well. You can download comlete "plasma styles" that look like Win 10 or OSX
KDE (plasma) is not a "simple minimal user interface". It's really full blown. But it's very simple to operate.
You can also give XFCE a try. I've used that for years and years. Less resource hungry, for older laptops. I've used that for my clients in the past. But I prefer KDE now. It's a matter of taste...
Both XFCE and KDE will do for non-technical users, if pre-cooked by you. (preferrably in /etc/skel).

Success!!!

Well... MX 19 is Debian Buster. It's fully supported until june 2024.
After that it will still get security updates.
Buster has now the status "stable". When Bullseye becomes stable, Buster wil be "oldstable", and still valuable for a very long time. That's the way Debian works.

Have a look at: https://wiki.debian.org/DebianReleases

728rwp,

I have done this for several elderly clients using Linux Mint MATE (I second DavidMcCann’s choice) and they have taken to it like ducks to water with no real problems.

1. No need to use the command line after initial setup.
2. A standard user account with a password is advisable (as per boughtonp’s comment, the clients are elderly not stupid).
3. Antivirus is not needed.
4. No complex desktop or taskbar: MATE with Firefox and LibreOffice Writer icons.
5. Set the mouse clicks to single click: Home > Edit > Preferences > Behaviour > Single click to open.

6. As suggested by DavidMcCann, a separate Home partition is a good idea:
https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...-distro-37074/

7. Menu > All applications > Preferences > Screensaver:
(i) Regard the computer as idle after 2 hours.
(ii) Untick the two boxes and then click on Close.

8. Firewall:
9. With LO Writer, set the zoom to Page Width, Font to whatever you like and font size to at least 14.
If you require Microsoft TrueType fonts you will need to install them via Software Manager (search for mscorefonts).

10. For email I recommend using a secure browser-based email such as ProtonMail (from those nice people at CERN) as opposed to Gmail etc:
https://protonmail.com/

11. Add/remove applications on Favourites as required. Likewise add one or two to Desktop if used regularly.
12. With Firefox install AdBlock Plus: Tools > Add-ons and Themes > search for AdBlock Plus.
13. Set the Home page to Google or DuckDuckGo.

Good luck with your venture.

Abiword or any incarnation of SofMaker TextMaker is less of a fuss than LibreOffice. I believe that other simple text-processors exist.

Or any other instance of Searx.
I do not like to quote from my own posts, but when I begin with considerations of ease-of-use or security, I want you to criticize me for any recommendation that contradicts my initial claims.

Strongly disagree with that point. AdBlock Plus is bloated software which deliberately allows certain adverts and trackers, and is run by a for-profit company.

I repeat my recommendation of uBlock Origin (plus Privacy Badger as backup).

uBlock Origin is deliberately fast and efficient, actually blocks what you want, and has a very direct privacy policy.

If you are going out and purchasing "low cost" laptops, you may be better off with Chromebooks. If you are working with donated old laptops, you already have a lot of good suggestions on how to proceed.

Thanks again for the good suggestions! I should have mentioned that I am working with some older 32-bit laptops, and must watch out for which versions of Linux will continue to support 32-bit systems. Many will continue to support only 64-bit systems, which leaves us out.

Problem with that is the same as the chromebook tablet. It requires internet access and thus is difficult to do a stand-alone system. My guess is that a lot of these folks don't want or need a lot of internet access so tying things to the internet could be counter-productive.

IIUC, While chromeOS is relatively small and simple it is not designed for stand-alone systems. It also does not have the freedom in licensing that Linux has. A quick search for "chrome os licensing" gives a lot of info and reveals it is not the same as a linux distro by any means.

Also, FYI: If you are pursuing an "obviously good, and obviously tax-deductible" cause such as providing the elderly with access to computers ... both Microsoft and Apple should be able to find a way to help you. Also existing charities such as Goodwill, who probably have a bumper-crop of donated computers on their hands with no place to go.

My mom is 91. She uses a Grandpad. Everything is easy, because everything is big, and choices are limited. Video calls are available, a nice bonus for shut-ins with grandchildren and great grandchildren. Its battery charges without need for any wire connected.