I use Linux Mint every day in my software development job and I love it. It works exactly the way I need it to work and I’m able to deliver the work artifacts on time without annoying operating system issues. I have been a Linux user and programmer since 1996 and Mint is the best OS for laptop work IMHO. For server deployments it’s Redhat, Ubuntu, or zLinux for us. So I appreciate your recommendation to load Linux Mint, and i heartily second it.
I actually recommend Mepis Linux for its wide range of machines and hardware it is compatible with, and its stability.
I run different versions depending upon the task each machine is set to though, and am running Mint with the KDE desktop on the main machines.
See below for related link:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3278155/posts
And Linux is the operating system that developers like....not every one is a developer.Some folks are just tool users
Popular though Mint is, I feel I should point out that there are other distros not as well known that are pointed directly at the laptop and notebook -using section of the populace.
Usually using a more lightweight desktop such as LXDE, they are not as demanding upon system resources as some of the main distros and in particular are pointed towards extended battery life, power monitoring daemons and usage options, and minor things such as lightweight apps and fonts that do not require a lot of CPU processing power for greater speed and operating time.
Just a thought. :)