I was pleasantly surprised that Ubuntu worked out of the box (so to speak) to handle my laptop with a touch screen, and to flip the screen around based on how i hold the laptop. (The screen can be filled back to make a big awkward tablet, or most of the way back to make a “tent” that’s super useful for watching videos on an airplane.) I only had issues with one application (Audacity) and that application is fussy on my Mac and was fussy on Windows. Once i installed it properly, it actually works better under Linux. (That is, i have fewer instances where it stops talking to my headphones.) I’ve found it a surprisingly easy transition.
I don’t think all-in-ones are a good idea unless you really like their aesthetic, or are very limited on desk space. They combine the worst of both worlds (desktops and laptops). Compared to laptops, they have the same flaws (lack of repairability and upgradability) but lack the portability if you ever want to bring it to the living room. Compared to desktops, they don’t have the same value (desktops are usually better performance per dollar, because bigger parts are cheaper than their smaller laptop equivalents, but all-in-ones usually use laptop parts), and they don’t have the same modularity (you can’t easily swap out the monitor or computer in the future). I guess where they win is simplicity. If you don’t really care about an “optimal” setup and would rather spend a little more on a machine that’s fully integrated and just works out of the box, knowing that you’ll have to replace it in its entirety when its time comes, I guess they’re fine? Many small businesses and offices do that, for example, just to keep things simple. But you’re basically paying for a “laziness” tax. It’s better to buy the computer and monitor separately if you don’t mind a couple extra cables and a few more minutes of initial setup.
If I were you, I’d still go the laptop + external monitor route. Compared to all-in-ones, laptops are generally better values than (because there are SO many of them, they are in constant competition with each other), and you can get a much better external monitor than what all-in-ones have. Compared to desktops, laptops are much less fussy to set up, and you can easily bring it to another room or replace it as a unit when the time comes — simpler, less tinkering.
For the monitor, consider an ultrawide or superultrawide — they’re really fantastic for side-by-side work of 2+ spreadsheets (or a single spreadsheet with lots of columns), and not very expensive these days.
If your budget is $1500, I’d say spend $500-$1000 on the laptop and the rest on a great monitor. You would never notice the difference between 16 GB and 32 GB of RAM, IMHO, but the extra monitor space is a huge usability boost every day.
On Linux vs Windows, there is a pretty good chance that you can put Linux on the old laptop and restore it to usable + fast condition, but then you’d have to learn another OS altogether, and not all your software will easily work there (Quicken, Excel, etc., will require workarounds if they work at all).
If you’re willing to do learn a new OS, I think a Mac would be the more sensible daily office use OS vs Linux (just easier to set up and use overall, especially with business software). I use Android too, and don’t really use my Apple account for anything — that’s fine. The Mac doesn’t require you to fully buy into the Apple ecosystem; it works fine as a standalone computer. Also, their all-in-ones (iMacs) would get you a much better screen than most PC all-in-ones, though I still don’t think that’s a great idea (vs, say, a Mac laptop or Mac Mini with an external monitor — they generally work fine with PC monitors, but you might have to tweak the gamma settings at first to make the brightness and contrast look right).
Really, the problem is with Windows (and Microsoft’s strategy of making you the product, rather than the customer, and force-feeding you updates and ads). Either Linux or Macs would be a big improvement in terms of their willingness to leave you alone and let your computer “just work”. It’s just that on the hardware side, Macs are currently a LOT better than PCs because Apple invested in their own revolutionary (for this generation) hardware — but maybe not for long; the PC side is trying to catch up with similar “Snapdragon” chips now too.
No need to overcomplicate all this though… just go to a store and pick out a reasonable mid-range laptop (of any OS). Avoid the super budget machines, but you also don’t need anything high-end. Add a good external monitor to it if you see one you like.
If you get a Windows computer, you can always try Linux on it (without any permanent changes) later on if you want to. (Some Macs can also run Linux, but not very well, and not much point there.)
Thank you again for taking the time to give detailed, knowledgeable recommendations. I think the sane thing to do is test drive some configs. For example, the keyboards on the Chromebooks we use at the tax service drive me nuts – keys are too close together & indistinguishable. I sure don’t want to make that mistake with a computer, laptop or desktop, that I’m using all the time. And I’m constantly hitting the touchpad on my Envy by mistake, so it would be nice not to have one at all, frankly.
The attraction for the all-in-ones is cosmetic. An acquaintance has one and it looks really cool. But that isn’t an excuse for buying a machine with significant drawbacks.
Macs are like crack: I swear, everyone who has one becomes an addicted cult member 
. I speak pidgen Mac, but though I like the look of the iPads, it just doesn’t seem worth it to me to get fluent, much as I dislike Microsoft. I know:: I’m old, set in my ways, and tough to please.
I’ll let you all know if I ever make up my mind. Thanks again!
I bit the bullet & did it – just in the nick of time. When I booted up my old HP Envy this a.m., I got a message saying the battery is dead & needs to be replaced.
I ended up with a desktop tower and, as @Reply suggested, a big monitor. I’m still getting used to it – it’s like sitting in the front row at the IMAX, but it sure makes it easy when more than one document is open at a time.
Here are the specs, in case anyone cares. I got everything on sale at Best Buy, $1334 out the door, including MS Office for Win 11:
HP - 27" IPS LED FHD 100Hz Monitor with Adjustable Height (HDMI, VGA)
HP - OmniDesk Desktop - Intel Core Ultra 7 265 2025 - 16GB DDR5 Memory - 1TB SSD
I went for a desktop because all the laptops now have a HUGE touchpad below the keyboard, which I never use and just gets in the way. The bluetooth keyboard that comes with the OmniDesk is a little bigger than a business envelope and works well for me.
I’m going to have a lot of time on my hands after my hip replacement, so I will spend a good chunk of it getting rid of the insane amount of bloatware that Microsoft has infested this thing with.
Also, a shoutout:
I have an ancient Canon LiDe200 flatbed scanner that I love. It’s old, clunky, and beat up but simple to use and gets the job done. Canon stopped supporting it many years ago and I was resigned to sending it to the ewaste, even though it works great.
A Google search found this father/son team (hamrick.com) that sells a Win 11 driver for the old beast. 
I was happy to pay them for it (there is a free version, too, as long as you just want to print the files).
The new machine is so fast. Yay! Thanks again everyone for the helpful suggestions.
Nice, glad you found a good setup! That sounds much more ergonomic than a small laptop with a big touchpad.
I think @DPRK has some scripts for debloating Windows?
That sounds great, i hope you get many hours of enjoyment from it.
I use touchpads, and the big touchpad is a lot better than a stingy little one. I have a mouse, but only use it for gaming. For everything else, i prefer the simplicity of the touchpad that’s right there, and doesn’t take any extra desk space, nor require that i move my hands off the keyboard. My mouse usually sits in my pencil holder. But yeah, if you don’t use a touchpad, a stand-alone keyboard must be nicer.
I think the ergonomics of your setup generally matters more than the specs. I like to test the feel of the keyboard and the sensitivity of the touchpad before buying a new machine.
Congrats of keeping your scanner, too.
I am not the author of these scripts, but I have used them many times:
There was an issue about a month ago where it stopped working on Windows 11 25H2 due to Microsoft’s deprecation of Windows Management Instrumentation Command-line, so if that is what you are running you may need to wait for an update:
NB: if you just want to de-bloat, you need to read the documentation and invoke the script to just run the parts that de-bloat. By default it also runs a bunch of anti-malware and anti-virus scripts.
Honestly, unless you need Microsoft Office or some other proprietary software that only runs on Windows, you can “just put Linux on it”, which will take care of the MS bloatware, and many (but not 100% of) Windows applications will still run.