C'mon guys! Running an expired OS is dumb, no matter which brand it is. You do know you can install desktops other than the default? Or just use one of the *buntus with the desktop you like. Ubuntu 14.04LTS is supported until April 2019 so will likely outlive the hardware.
Have a look at MATE (forked from GNOME 2) or something like LXDE - they provide a "traditional" style GUI & are relatively light on RAM.