@Dave,

That’s not entirely accurate.

Elementary OS doesn’t require you to completely reinstall from scratch every time. In recent versions, you can upgrade to the next major release directly from within the system, similar to how other Linux distributions handle upgrades

You forgot Ubuntu cinnamon as a very important Ubuntu distro. I like it much better than Linux Mint.

Is Lubuntu a lightweight distro mainly reserved for old PCs and outdated hardware? My 3 PCs have all been made in 2023/24 with a lot of RAM and external USB disks (purchased separately, of course), thus being very powerful and modern tools.

Admittedly, I dislike desktops and most of the time I first open Konsoles (12 at the same time) and run a number of apps such as Vivaldi browser, Okular, Adobe Reader (via the maligned snapd), DOSEMU (not, God forbid, the disastrous DOSEMU2), VirtualBox (with several Windows virtualizations), Midnight Commander, Gwenview, and so on.

No scarcity of apps. Just search for them and sudo install them.

For me, Lubuntu is a real blessing. As for other distros, they may be quite good, even perhaps better, but for whatever reason (or for lack of skill on my part), they have turned out to be less fit for my purposes and needs.

Anyway, I feel comfortable enough with Lubuntu with no hankering after the best distro in the world (if it exists).