AN does an amazing job with ArcaOS (AOS), and for me, running it in a VM, it is next to flawless (replacing Warp 4.52 in much of my OS/2 use).
Modern apps are indeed the only major remaining problem (*along with* 32-bit OS and certain device driver issues), but modern apps are a very intractable problem, as these have multiplied in various 64-bit code bases and feature sets. If you want to do something, there's a modern application for it ... but only if you are on a modern (64-bit) OS.
AN has said the "modern app" (browser) problem is not theirs to solve ... their focus is AOS. Their (commercial) base must not need a browser? And, their individual user base AOS sales aren't grossly impacted with the lack of such modern apps? They do their best to support those developers who are working on app availability in many ways, plus they've added ANPM to bring over more apps when available from porting. That's impressive ...
For those not wanting to run AOS in a VM, but rather directly on hardware, much of the entire set of modern apps will remain out of reach, unless you utilize RDP/RDC (to another machine), or Winflector (from another machine). Or wait for porting of a (dwindling?) small subset of all modern apps.
AToF is my solution to the modern app problem on OS/2, and running the entire AToF scheme on a laptop like your T43 should be no problem (if you can wrap your head around the AToF scheme). AToF is a simple combination of modern tools from our existing computing toolbox (beefy laptop/desktop, HostOS, Virtualbox, Winflector). As a bonus, you'll have little to no remaining 64-bit, device driver, or modern app problems, while booting into and working entirely in your ArcaOS desktop.
It must be quite the experience to run OS/2 (directly) on T43 hardware or similar, and perhaps it harkens back to the good ol' days, with IBM "suits" looking over both shoulders as we used their stuff, but I'd have to agree that you need a modern browser and email to live entirely in OS/2 on one machine in today's world. I personally can't live with most computing problems, and having experienced them just once, I immediately look for any solution that gets me out of said problems, vs the trade-off of "living with the problem(s)." Programming folks program their way out of problems, however long that takes, but us (old?) sysadmins (not being programmers) integrate thru or otherwise work around problems ... trying to get to a solution "now".
AFAIK, only AToF gets us 99% of the way there on a single machine like your laptop, potentially solving ALL problems. I hope to have an updated AToF at one of the upcoming Warpstock events ... I last presented it at Warpstock 2023.
But, you can try it right now ... wipe your machine (after backing up your data), load a HostOS, Virtualbox, and Winflector. Then put AOS into a vm ... done ... no more intractable problems; a modern browser and email app running on the AOS desktop, within the Winflector client. And, let me know what I can do to get AToF to 99.9% ...