Advice on Choosing a Lightweight Linux Distro for My Old Laptop

You really can't go wrong with Linux Mint; it's user-friendly and just works for most people. If you want something more customizable or you're into using multiple monitors, Fedora with the KDE desktop is a great option too. I'd recommend setting up a Ventoy USB drive with a few different distros to test them out in live mode before you commit. Also, check out Explaining Computers on YouTube for some helpful Linux tutorials!

You might not even need to focus purely on lightweight distros. It really depends on what you disliked with Ubuntu. If it's the Gnome desktop that's the issue, you could try a distro that offers KDE, like Kubuntu, for a more familiar experience. Just know that nearly any distro should run decently on your machine!

Many times when people say they dislike a distro, it's actually the desktop environment they aren't fond of. For your needs, Linux Mint with the Cinnamon desktop is often a hit, especially if you’re looking for something more visually appealing than Ubuntu. Fedora with KDE is also worth checking out if you're after a more Windows-like interface.

I'm curious about what exactly you didn't like about Ubuntu. Most Linux distros are quite similar under the hood, but if it was the desktop environment that bothered you, maybe try out KDE with Kubuntu, which is a lot more Windows-like. You might also want to look into Lubuntu or Xubuntu if you prefer something lighter, but keep in mind that you might sacrifice some elegance in exchange.