Hands on: I tried the latest version of Zorin OS – here’s what I thought of this Linux distro
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This comment first appeared in issue 354 PC Pro.
Want a beautiful operating system? Don’t look again. Zorin is as close as anyone operating system compete Windows 11 Lightweight fluid design. We are testing free Zorin OS cores, but there are other alternatives computer (Sorin of Lite) and professional users (Sorin of).
Lite switch XFCE’s highly customized GNOME 43 desktop environment, while Pro costs £39, Exc vat, bundled installation support and other software Image Editing3D graphics, video editing, annotation, and more. Pro can be installed on multiple computers with a single license unless you are a business or an educational user, in which case you need to provide a license for each machine.
No matter which version you choose, Zorin is based on Ubuntu, and the latest build runs on the 6.2 kernel. Support will be at least April 2027.
Linux Mint Often touted as the best Linux for Windows converters, it certainly takes very little time to adapt to its cinnamon desktop. But, for our money, Zorin is better. The default UI has Windows and Mint’s taskbar and start-style menus, and the color scheme is immediately familiar. It complements three more themes, one with a traditional gnome shell and the other with a touch-optimized theme – if you upgrade to Zorin Pro, you get other desktop styles, including more explicit desktop styles Windows 11macos, Chromebook and GNOME 2 options.
You may be able to carry some Windows applications with the support of an optional Windows application that uses Wine and its graphic front-end Playonlinux. However, you can install them yourself on other distributions (Nitrix has it built in as a bottle), so they are not a reason to choose Zorin yourself – Windows Application Support is not 100%, so don’t expect to be able to run everything you depend on today. That said, a one-click setup is likely to make this implementation attractive, making it less confident switcher.
Zorin has launched an upgrader with version 16.3, which also launches an existing version 15 installation. This will preserve your files, applications, and settings when you make a full point upgrade. Previously, such upgrades required a clean start and manual migration. It sits with a carefully curated default software choice. libreoffice 7.6.3 is pre-installed, but GIMP is not. The default browser is Firefoxand email, which is evolution. This is a good-looking alternative to Thunderbird, but the latter gets a major refresh in its 115 version, and we tend to switch so we can run the same client on both Linux and Windows.
Both the core and Pro builds include Zorin Connect, which maintains an encrypted local network connection between the computer and one Android phone. You can sync notifications, share files, and control music and video playback across devices. You can also use it to turn your phone into a remote keyboard and mouse, or a controller for PC-based presentations. If you want to replace the same features in the distribution, check out KDE Connect(kdeconnect.kde.org).
You can download anything that is not preinstalled from the integrated app store, which is set to use Zorin and Ubuntu Repository, Flathub and Snap Store. All of this provides a frictionless environment for Linux Newbies, and we are happy to see both printers on our network recognized on their first boot.
If you’re new to Linux and are nervous about switching, Zorin may just be the distribution you’ve been searching for. It looks great, feels instantly familiar (even if you don’t pay for the Windows 11-style UI for Zorin Pro), and goes out of your way to simplify your work with your phone – as long as it’s running Android – and integrates (some) Windows applications. It feels like the best Linux distribution for a Windows converter that wants to feel at home quickly.
