Linux Mint may look a bit outdated and doesn't benefit from the Latest and Greatest version of some programs (ala Arch), but it still provides an excellent out of the box experience. It's been my daily driver for a production environment for years, and I've converted older family members to use it as their daily driver without issues. (They prefer it over Windows!)

I did recently encounter a bug where it would fail to install the latest version if Secure Boot was enabled at the time of installation, but that was due to a key signing issue/expiration from upstream (Ubuntu) and the developers have already promised a new approach that would address and future-proof that in the upcoming version. It was my first time in years I hit a stumbling block on installation.

That aside, the onboarding process has only gotten better and is now outstanding. (It has a little Welcome program that walks you through setting up system snapshots, proprietary drivers, and even enable automatic security updates. It's accessible and actually helpful to newcomers.) The distribution upgrade utility is simple, works well, and does a good job of nudging when it's time to upgrade (without making you feel forced). It also anchors to Ubuntu LTS releases, which means you actually don't need to upgrade often if the feature set does the job for you. In terms of usability, I think we hit the Year of the Linux Desktop a while ago (for general productivity users).

In short, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Mint to someone who is either new or willing to give up some of the bleeding edge opportunities for stability, and I think it has been able to consistently deliver an excellent out of box experience for years now.

DOE can refer to the Department of Education. The comment and segment you quoted used the acronym in relation to an entity Rick Perry oversaw. That entity was the Department of Energy.

Yes, the Department of Energy drives the cost of college. Welcome to the Fediverse, Rick!