Try Lubuntu or LXDE. They are two distro very light. You will have no problem with those distro. You can do the essential with that like, navigate, see your mail, try some app (libre), you can write some text with libreoffice and other apps. You have a software download include. If you have any question, poke me i will try to help you the best i can do.
I think the most challenge now for you is to create usb key for installing one of those distro.