Here's a novel idea. Use whatever the fuck you prefer. The OP has the information for which he asked.
That's not novel, it's the way to do it. I'm just against people making completely garbage claim against one platform or another crufting up someone else's decision making process.
The debate gets old. Anyone who spends enough time deploying and maintaining systems knows that they are all very reliable today and you are simply stating your preference for any particular OS when you are arguing.
I like them all. I get bored (2mm over) after using Windows all day at work and then at home for dev work and work work. Mint tends to be my escape.
7 yes. Grandfather said stay away from 8 if I enjoyed the "typical windows" layout. I like 7, for what I do it made me feel more computer literate when I have issues.