If you use a standard motherboard that includes standard Intel networking capability (like that Asus board), and you have internet access that provides an ethernet connection (e.g., a cable TV provider in the U.S.), an ethernet DHCP link will be negotiated as your system comes up.
If you’re finding that is not the case with Mint , it’s unusual and you should post a separate entry here outlining the details.
That “Windows-like desktop” – panel and menu popping up from the bottom left corner – is what you get in most desktop environments available on Linux, include Cinnamon, MATE, XFCE, KDE, LXDE, and LXQT. (Mint offers individual distributions using the first three.)
Windows snapping is a very common feature. It will be available in your current Mint system, whether you’re using Cinnamon, MATE or XFCE. It can be toggled on and off via the system’s configuration/preferences tools.
“bloat” is a matter of definition. Most distributions include a large base of software in order to appeal to a larger base of users. In any case, packages you do not want on you system can be removed. (Current Ubuntu releases do include a “minimal” feature in the installer that sets up sparse system. Some distributions also offer other forms of minimal installation that provide fine grained selection of installed packages. These assume the user knows which packages to install.)
Open source drivers are integrated with the Linux kernel, which detects hardware components on boot and ensures the correct drivers are used. This is the standard procedure across Linux and happens with every distribution. Driver release versions will vary from one distribution to the next.
Some hardware requires, or is best used with, proprietary drivers. Some distributions include these by default, some provide ways to download and install them, and some leave users completely on their own. Ubuntu, Ubuntu derivatives, and Mint allow users to opt in to proprietary drivers during the installation. They also offer a “driver manager” tool that’s typically used to install proprietary Nvidia drivers.
Typically, laptops with Nvidia cards intend for the OS to use the Intel video that’s built into the Intel CPU for routine display tasks and use the Nvidia card for more demanding tasks. Windows and OS X handle this switching back and forth between GPU’s transparently. Linux less so. It’s a common issue so searching for info on your specific hardware configuration, or checking the Mint forums, should turn something up. Or post a query here.
