I’d like to suggest an addition: I often get the question: but will distro XY run on my device? Then I suggest to boot from an USB stick and try everything in a live session without installing anything. (And if people are just curious how it will look and feel, I recommend distrosea.com)
Also, I miss the mention of Cinnamon. Mint is very popular as you have already said and the “flagship” version comes with Cinnamon.