New computer - new xubuntu - Advice?

[kurt18947]

I might keep windows as an ISO file (and virtualbox to it should I ever need it)...as for RAM, the laptop can go up to 32GB...but I'm not paying for that out of the starting gate. The laptop's pricey enough as it is, after all. But if you think I can go without a swap partition without issue (either in using the OS or from the installer screaming at me the way older versions did when I tried to go swap-free)...

Scream at you? No, but it'll ask if you're sure. Another approach you could take with Windows would be to do an initial install, remove what you want then create an image. I've done this and the image restored nicely. I've never tried to image a restore partition, delete the restore partition then try to reinstall so don't know if that would work or not.