Which OS should I install?

Just scored an Eminem laptop running an Intel Core i3 with 1GB of RAM and a 160 GB hard drive.
It’s running Windows 7 Home Premium and man, it is painfully slow. I really want to just slap a Linux distro on it, but the owner is dead set on Windows. So now I'm torn between Windows 7 Starter and Windows XP Home. There's a Windows XP Home key stuck on the bottom of the chassis. Whatever, activation is the least of my worries.
Oh, one more thing—which browser isn't going to absolutely murder my resources?

Why not just toss in an extra 1 GB of RAM? That’d make Windows 7 Home Premium run smooth as butter. Problem is, you gotta swap out that old 2 GB stick since there's only one slot available...

Oh, and Windows XP—yeah, if those Linux distros aren't really your vibe. Are people skipping them just because they hate the look of it (or just plain old habit), or is there actually some specific software out there that absolutely demands Windows?

Browser? I'd go with Midori ( http://midori-browser.org/ ). It's pretty much the only one that packs full features while staying light enough to breathe. Most "lightweight" browsers just feel broken, but this one actually works without sacrificing everything.

The owner’ll probably have a much easier time offloading this thing if it's running Windows.
Upgrading the RAM? Yeah, smart move.

I’d honestly rather go with Windows 7 Starter over XP any day.

First I slapped Windows 7 Starter on this thing. Total disaster. It was dragging like a snail—kept hitting me with "not enough memory" errors constantly. So, I ditched it for XP Home. Now? The machine absolutely flies. Honestly, I’d rather just run Linux, but my boss won't let me.

And honestly, why not just stick with XP and let it run until it finally gives up the ghost? 🙂

Just throw in another stick of RAM and install Windows 7. I ran a similar setup once and it worked pretty well...

Hey there!
I've been running Kali Linux lately
It’s basically built on Debian—just a bit more advanced when it comes to security features
Honestly, everything runs incredibly fast on my machine—plus, I don't have to deal with any of that annoying adware or those pesky viruses that usually slow down a computer

I set up a dual boot with Windows XP and Ubuntu. My boss said he could grab 2 gigs for $17. If he pulls through, I'll throw a week's worth of data on there. Honestly, 1 GB just isn't cutting it for a whole week.