6 ms·

Why Zorin? It’s always struck me as a weird distro. I can’t put my finger on why, but it feels off. I wonder how much of a bump other distros have seen in the

Why Zorin? It’s always struck me as a weird distro. I can’t put my finger on why, but it feels off. I wonder how much of a bump other distros have seen in the same period.

Buxato 11mo ago
Because usually it works, the out of the box deb + snap + flatpak, polished experience cozy look with some presets to minimice friction, + ubuntu LTS its a nice pack.
cosmic_cheese 11mo ago
More than other distros, Zorin markets (and has marketed) itself as Windows-like, which probably elevates it in search rankings and LLM queries for people looking for a distro that more closely mirrors what they’re familiar with. People really, really want a “Windows, but just the good parts” with as little deviation and required learning as possible in terms of desktop experience. A distro with a DE that nearly perfectly replicates “greatest hits” Windows versions (2K/XP/7/10) would probably be doing serious numbers right now if it existed.
- GaryBluto 11mo ago
  > A distro with a DE that nearly perfectly replicates “greatest hits” Windows versions (2K/XP/7/10) would probably be doing serious numbers right now if it existed. Funnily enough Zorin used to offer this. http://web.archive.org/web/2012fw_/zorin-os.com http://web.archive.org/web/2012fw_/zorin-os.com "Zorin Look Changer" used to "let you select from Windows 7, XP, Vista, Ubuntu Unity, Mac OS X or GNOME 2" themes, whilst newer versions want you to pay nearly $50 for the privilege (although they have significantly reduced their offerings, with their "Windows Classic" theme just being their "Windows-list like" theme with a slightly different start menu).
  - k_roy 11mo ago
    $50 seems cheap for what they have probably put tons of money into to have consistent theming, in terms of both actual aesthetic and functionally. I say this as someone getting annoyed daily by KDE inconsistencies over decades.
    - cosmic_cheese 11mo ago
      I have never used Zorin or its theme changer, but I strongly doubt it's much better than what can be accomplished by installing a third party theme, which are never that good and only resemble the mimicked operating systems in the broadest of strokes.
      - k_roy 11mo ago
        Shrug? Our experiences have been totally different then. I bought an older version of Zorin, probably 15 or 16, to review for a blog, and I was totally impressed with the consistency of the theming. To each their own, but Zorin is a cheap on-ramp for people coming from older Windows/Mac and looking for a somewhat apples-to-apples experience of Windows or Mac, with actual updates and not a bunch of ads or telemetry. Not everyone is a Linux power user
        cosmic_cheese 11mo ago
        The consistency of the theming isn’t the issue, it’s that it’s just theming (unless I’m just misunderstanding). KDE or GNOME with an XP theme applied settings toggled still acts like KDE or GNOME rather than acting like XP. The resemblance is skin-deep. Good theming is great to have, but what’s more important is that the user’s prior experience and muscle memory still applies, e.g. the task manager can be summoned in the same ways, settings panels are structured similarly (and aren’t either overflowing or too stripped down like KDE and GNOME, respectively), key shortcuts are the same with no caveats, etc.
- trelane 11mo ago
  So... modern Lindows? Hopefully it goes better for them than it went for Lindows. Though at least the name isn't lawsuit bait.
  - rolph 11mo ago
    microsloth windoze https://jargondb.org/glossary/microsloth-windows https://jargondb.org/glossary/microsloth-windows would probably be even better bait, due to the perjorative, and 2 trademarks being adulterated what was it? "go make a cup of tea this may take awhile"
    - trelane 11mo ago
      That seems almost, but not quite, entirely unrelated to my comment.
  - cosmic_cheese 11mo ago
    Kinda. Lindows didn't resemble Windows as closely as its name might suggest and played with fire with its naming. Ideally this new distro would have a custom built DE made to be as close as possible visually and functionally, yet legally distinct (which a skilled designer can easily pull off) and would not tie the branding to Microsoft or Windows in any way.
netsharc 11mo ago
The marketing of it as "looks and feels like Windows 11!" is probably the biggest hook, if one can assume the majority of the 780k are non-powerusers who are wary about the end of Windows 10's support, and getting pwned on the Internet...
- more_corn 11mo ago
  Microsoft is forcing win 11 updates with a bunch of AI features nobody asks for or wants. The new features render millions of windows machines unable to run the new version leaving them ripe for for an upgrade to Linux.
  - netsharc 11mo ago
    Ironic.. Stay on Windows 10 and risk getting your data stolen through unpatched exploits, or throw away your perfectly good computer and contribute to the climate disaster, get Windows 11, and lose sovereignty over your data to Microsoft...
  - lobito25 11mo ago
    Exactly. That was the main reason I switched from windows to Linux after 30+ years.
Saris 11mo ago
It looks good, plus they're good at marketing it and the website is very engaging with telling me what problems of mine it solves and how.
sph 11mo ago
Probably like MX Linux, which has, for some reason, topped the Distrowatch popularity list for years in front of Fedora, Ubuntu, Arch Linux, Debian. Strangely enough, CachyOS seems to have adopted the same strategy and it's now first place on that site. I've been using Linux since 2001, and I honestly I find it funny how these niche flashy distros are popular with the new generations. Probably because newbies follow the screenshots and /r/unixporn posts, instead of caring about support, mind share and governance. Except Arch, because it's both a really good distro and a symbol for cool h4x0r edgelords, so it's where everybody seems to land after playing with the niche distros like Zorin until they inevitably become unsupported. Rock-solid distros like Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora don't have that "cool" factor so noobs don't even consider them, even though under the hood it's all the same, and on day 2 you just want something that works, rather than something that looks good on a Reddit post. --- You know Linux has gone mainstream when baby's first distro Zorin has a privacy policy and terms of service page, as it's published by a for-profit company.
- cosmic_cheese 11mo ago
  Distros like Debian and Ubuntu also suffer from issues with compatibility with newer hardware due to their older kernels. This is part of why distros based on Fedora and Fedora Atomic (such as Nobara and Bazzite, respectively) have seen popularity.
  - tormeh 11mo ago
    Also, gamers at least want the latest drivers. Not the ones from three weeks ago. The latest ones. That's why everyone is recommending Arch-based distros for that purpose. I'm currently on Pop, and waiting months for Mesa updates is no fun.
    - arzig 11mo ago
      I find Fedora hits a nice sweet spot between compatibility/updates and random breakage, especially since they backport KDE versions along with kernels.
  - 11mo ago
Cadwhisker 11mo ago
I have to do tech support for grandma. Every few years, her Windows laptop gets so slow that we get her a new one. This time I will test out a switch to Linux instead of buying a new computer. Zorin is the most attractive option because it's the least strange.
dsp_person 11mo ago
It helps that it is built on the same Open Source software that powers the New York Stock Exchange and computers on the International Space Station. per https://zorin.com/os/ https://zorin.com/os/
- bethekidyouwant 11mo ago
  Yes ubuntu,
  - christophilus 11mo ago
    So, Debian.

Why Zorin? It’s always struck me as a weird distro. I can’t put my finger on why, but it feels off. I wonder how much of a bump other distros have seen in the same period.

Buxato 11mo ago

Because usually it works, the out of the box deb + snap + flatpak, polished experience cozy look with some presets to minimice friction, + ubuntu LTS its a nice pack.

cosmic_cheese 11mo ago

More than other distros, Zorin markets (and has marketed) itself as Windows-like, which probably elevates it in search rankings and LLM queries for people looking for a distro that more closely mirrors what they’re familiar with. People really, really want a “Windows, but just the good parts” with as little deviation and required learning as possible in terms of desktop experience. A distro with a DE that nearly perfectly replicates “greatest hits” Windows versions (2K/XP/7/10) would probably be doing serious numbers right now if it existed.

GaryBluto 11mo ago
> A distro with a DE that nearly perfectly replicates “greatest hits” Windows versions (2K/XP/7/10) would probably be doing serious numbers right now if it existed. Funnily enough Zorin used to offer this. http://web.archive.org/web/2012fw_/zorin-os.com http://web.archive.org/web/2012fw_/zorin-os.com "Zorin Look Changer" used to "let you select from Windows 7, XP, Vista, Ubuntu Unity, Mac OS X or GNOME 2" themes, whilst newer versions want you to pay nearly $50 for the privilege (although they have significantly reduced their offerings, with their "Windows Classic" theme just being their "Windows-list like" theme with a slightly different start menu).
- k_roy 11mo ago
  $50 seems cheap for what they have probably put tons of money into to have consistent theming, in terms of both actual aesthetic and functionally. I say this as someone getting annoyed daily by KDE inconsistencies over decades.
  - cosmic_cheese 11mo ago
    I have never used Zorin or its theme changer, but I strongly doubt it's much better than what can be accomplished by installing a third party theme, which are never that good and only resemble the mimicked operating systems in the broadest of strokes.
    - k_roy 11mo ago
      Shrug? Our experiences have been totally different then. I bought an older version of Zorin, probably 15 or 16, to review for a blog, and I was totally impressed with the consistency of the theming. To each their own, but Zorin is a cheap on-ramp for people coming from older Windows/Mac and looking for a somewhat apples-to-apples experience of Windows or Mac, with actual updates and not a bunch of ads or telemetry. Not everyone is a Linux power user
      - cosmic_cheese 11mo ago
        The consistency of the theming isn’t the issue, it’s that it’s just theming (unless I’m just misunderstanding). KDE or GNOME with an XP theme applied settings toggled still acts like KDE or GNOME rather than acting like XP. The resemblance is skin-deep. Good theming is great to have, but what’s more important is that the user’s prior experience and muscle memory still applies, e.g. the task manager can be summoned in the same ways, settings panels are structured similarly (and aren’t either overflowing or too stripped down like KDE and GNOME, respectively), key shortcuts are the same with no caveats, etc.
trelane 11mo ago
So... modern Lindows? Hopefully it goes better for them than it went for Lindows. Though at least the name isn't lawsuit bait.
- rolph 11mo ago
  microsloth windoze https://jargondb.org/glossary/microsloth-windows https://jargondb.org/glossary/microsloth-windows would probably be even better bait, due to the perjorative, and 2 trademarks being adulterated what was it? "go make a cup of tea this may take awhile"
  - trelane 11mo ago
    That seems almost, but not quite, entirely unrelated to my comment.
- cosmic_cheese 11mo ago
  Kinda. Lindows didn't resemble Windows as closely as its name might suggest and played with fire with its naming. Ideally this new distro would have a custom built DE made to be as close as possible visually and functionally, yet legally distinct (which a skilled designer can easily pull off) and would not tie the branding to Microsoft or Windows in any way.

netsharc 11mo ago

The marketing of it as "looks and feels like Windows 11!" is probably the biggest hook, if one can assume the majority of the 780k are non-powerusers who are wary about the end of Windows 10's support, and getting pwned on the Internet...

more_corn 11mo ago
Microsoft is forcing win 11 updates with a bunch of AI features nobody asks for or wants. The new features render millions of windows machines unable to run the new version leaving them ripe for for an upgrade to Linux.
- netsharc 11mo ago
  Ironic.. Stay on Windows 10 and risk getting your data stolen through unpatched exploits, or throw away your perfectly good computer and contribute to the climate disaster, get Windows 11, and lose sovereignty over your data to Microsoft...
- lobito25 11mo ago
  Exactly. That was the main reason I switched from windows to Linux after 30+ years.

Saris 11mo ago

It looks good, plus they're good at marketing it and the website is very engaging with telling me what problems of mine it solves and how.

sph 11mo ago

Probably like MX Linux, which has, for some reason, topped the Distrowatch popularity list for years in front of Fedora, Ubuntu, Arch Linux, Debian. Strangely enough, CachyOS seems to have adopted the same strategy and it's now first place on that site. I've been using Linux since 2001, and I honestly I find it funny how these niche flashy distros are popular with the new generations. Probably because newbies follow the screenshots and /r/unixporn posts, instead of caring about support, mind share and governance. Except Arch, because it's both a really good distro and a symbol for cool h4x0r edgelords, so it's where everybody seems to land after playing with the niche distros like Zorin until they inevitably become unsupported. Rock-solid distros like Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora don't have that "cool" factor so noobs don't even consider them, even though under the hood it's all the same, and on day 2 you just want something that works, rather than something that looks good on a Reddit post. --- You know Linux has gone mainstream when baby's first distro Zorin has a privacy policy and terms of service page, as it's published by a for-profit company.

cosmic_cheese 11mo ago
Distros like Debian and Ubuntu also suffer from issues with compatibility with newer hardware due to their older kernels. This is part of why distros based on Fedora and Fedora Atomic (such as Nobara and Bazzite, respectively) have seen popularity.
- tormeh 11mo ago
  Also, gamers at least want the latest drivers. Not the ones from three weeks ago. The latest ones. That's why everyone is recommending Arch-based distros for that purpose. I'm currently on Pop, and waiting months for Mesa updates is no fun.
  - arzig 11mo ago
    I find Fedora hits a nice sweet spot between compatibility/updates and random breakage, especially since they backport KDE versions along with kernels.
- 11mo ago

Cadwhisker 11mo ago

I have to do tech support for grandma. Every few years, her Windows laptop gets so slow that we get her a new one. This time I will test out a switch to Linux instead of buying a new computer. Zorin is the most attractive option because it's the least strange.

dsp_person 11mo ago

It helps that it is built on the same Open Source software that powers the New York Stock Exchange and computers on the International Space Station. per https://zorin.com/os/ https://zorin.com/os/

bethekidyouwant 11mo ago
Yes ubuntu,
- christophilus 11mo ago
  So, Debian.