ne might be a nice option for what he is looking for, it uses the same default shortcuts as all the "usual" crap like notepad, EDIT etc.
regarding the OS there have been some solid recommendations (xubuntu, customized debian with fluxbox, busybox is a bit far fetched in my opinion), however if you really want to tinker with it and optimize your boot time, but still maintain a fully operational OS, try gentoo.
ne might be a nice option for what he is looking for, it uses the same default shortcuts as all the "usual" crap like notepad, EDIT etc. regarding the OS there have been some solid recommendations (xubuntu, customized debian with fluxbox, busybox is a bit far fetched in my opinion), however if you really want to tinker with it and optimize your boot time, but still maintain a fully operational OS, try gentoo.
The Power Glove?!?!?! Makes me want to go and beat up Fred Savage for some reason, and make a lot of inappropriate 80s references...