Just a holding post because I am as busy as a blue-arsed fly on a cow pat in summer. Regrets.
Lee have a read of this on DEs (Desktop Environments)
https://renewablepcs.wordpress.com/about-linux/kde-gnome-or-xfce/
Then, armed with that, when you try different Distros you can get familiar with the DEs you like and don't like.
Not so well known is that with many Linux Distros, you can install a different DE, and choose which one to use at login time, through an icon that appears on the right.
Here's a pic of my Linux Mint 18.3 'Sylvia' with the MATE DE
Then I go to Synaptic Package Manager and run a search on desktop environment, and I get a long list which includes most of the DEs listed in that article I linked to.
I choose Cinnamon and install it, and the result is this following, which I can customise
One of the characteristics of Cinnamon is the small bust in system tray at right, which has options I have shown here.
And at Login, I get the following
I can explain in more detail tomorrow my time, if you or
@bustedflush or others are interested.
Gotta fly and feed my face
Wizard