Core for a netbook??

[Beartooth]

I have an old System76 netbook "starling," I think one of the 
first ones ever, whenever that was. Years ago. They were an Ubuntu shop 
then, and afaik still are; but I'm not. The first thing I did with it was 
to install the then current Fedora release.

F30 is on it now, but I can't say it runs. It boots up, and then 
freezes. Local people who know things tell me it just isn't big enough 
any more.

I got it to do email in waiting rooms; but I found I usually got 
my turn before I got into my email. That proved true even when the 
netbook was still quick; wifi in the places I waited was slow.

So I guess I can afford a risk: would CoreOS be able to handle 
Alpine (formerly Pine from UW) and a browser or two? Maybe even Pan??