Conversation

Should I take the plunge and have a Linux OS on my next 'spare' laptop? The spare laptop is basically the one I'll use when traveling, or on the tread desk -- mostly for writing, a simple spreadsheet, reading PDFs, and dumping photos onto when traveling. I have to get a new one. (The heavier work is on my desktop). So, thinking of a lower priced laptop. I'll be using LibreOffice on it, not the MS Word suite.
How much RAM should said lower priced laptop have?
is 256GB good enough?
Is i5 good enough?
Linux OS (Ubuntu?) -- is it as easy to use as Windows? I don't have the motivation to fuss a lot and troubleshoot. (Already using LibreOffice on the current dying spare laptop)
***EDIT: Oh, and will I be able to view photos from my iPhone in their HEIC format?