@kirstyyarr ah. Bummer. I'm sorry to hear that. I don't know what hardware or distribution you had, but I can tell you that Linux has come a long way from the early days. I have given Linux laptops to my mother (who is *extremely* computer illiterate), mother in law, and others. I think an easy experience depends on having solid distribution and compatible hardware.
If you're up for trying again, Fedora KDE spin is one of the most refined options, and what I recommend.