Not sure about Nov specifically, but this is a thing with a lot of packages due to keybindings. Evil-collection bundles fixes for a lot of these packages and some even have separate solutions. Worst case is you have to rebind some keys manually, but nov is fairly well known so someone will have done it already

I have a Lenovo Chromebook Duet 2 and I haven't regretted it at all. Graphical Emacs is important for me as I want to view my notes on it and I cant do that well with the terminal version. So that removed any Android/Apple tablet. Unfortunate as it may be, I don't think there is any mature, budget Linux tablet and Chromebooks, which support Linux out of the box are the closest to that.

It's lightweight, with a 10 inch screen and I can comfortably use Emacs with the keyboard it comes with. You could go even smaller screen, but imo, after one point it stops being comfortable. So this is a very fine solution for me

My answer for op is use Doom, I personally think it's more polished and the best end user experience with someone not so experienced.

And now, a rant for why I completely disagree with people here who just recommend Vanilla. Starter kits are there for a reason. It is painfully hard for a new user to start out on GNU Emacs and get everything they want running and if they are not patient, they will outright quit.

I tried it and quit in less than a month. Then I tried Spacemacs and I loved it. I used it for a few months and then I wanted to customize things my way more and used vanilla, which is what I've used for the past 3 years. Right now, I wouldn't use a starter kit even if I was paid to do so, because my vanilla config has too much stuff I like and the premades have a lot I don't like. But I would never have become a power user if I didn't start from a starter kit. Just because you guys use it (and you do well to do so) doesn't mean it's beginner friendly. In my opinion, it's one of the most beginner hostile pieces of software out there. And I love it and wish they never change that, because being the blank canvas it is, it allows you to make virtually anything in it. But that's once you learn the basics and it doesn't slow you down just to use.