I think the question is fine, but we have to assume they covered this type of method prior to the exam, where .length would result in the character count of a String.
For the BT headsets audio quality, you should be able to change the audio mode as it might be selecting Headset (HSP/HFP) by default which is used when you need to use the microphone. Instead select High Fidelity A2DP mode which will stop the microphone working but give you the proper audio quality.
I think Ubuntu is a solid contender for sure. I had a couple bad experiences with some updates (nothing significant) which didn't really inspire confidence for me to be able to set it up once and never need any real maintenance on my behalf.
Don't get me wrong, if I was using the laptop and it had Ubuntu I'd be ok with it because I'm comfortable with Linux. But for a set and (mostly) forget install, I chose Mint.
Cheers, yea its just something to work on/look into. I'll never finish it of course, but if I can get a few versions into it and has some users/interest I'll keep working on it.
No offense taken. But I've made no assumptions on the simplicity, and I know its a big task and want to start small. I don't mean to compete with Thunderbird, just I like it.
I think it would be a great exercise in learning the protocol and message handling.
I think that's a reasonable request? An internet connection shouldn't be necessary.