If you want to have everything pre-configured then System 76 is a good
option but you'll pay heavily for the privilege of not having to get
to grips with package management yourself ( and may need to anyway ).

Installing Kubuntu onto a Zoostorm laptop would be my suggested route
and also using a USB flash drive to do the install, since you are
running Ubuntu it's a very easy job to create this. Look for Startup
Disc Creator. During install you can select to have updates and also
neat stuff like flash installed at the same time - do this only if you
have a fast and reliable internet connection. I've found that these
two options can lead to failed installs so prefer to not check them
and do the updates afterwards.

As for package management there are two ways basically, the software
centre where programs are shown as icons or the full package manager
where you type in what you are looking for. Each has its plus / minus
points but both really are just a case of selecting an application you
want and clicking on 'Install'. The system takes care of the rest :-)

Also terminal commands are useful when needed and whilst most users
rarely, if ever, need to resort to this there's plenty of help and
mostly it's a case of copy / paste commands.

d> I want to avoid having to do clever things with synpatic and terminal