So after playing around with Linux Mint for a little while I really like it. I think it's a very usable OS and seems to run faster than Windows did on that laptop. Only problem is some of the third party software I use from time to time isn't compatible. I think I'm going to rummage around ebay for a smaller laptop that I can use with both Kali and Mint since a 17" laptop is a bit too large to carry around...….