Saturday, August 2, 2014

Zorin OS 9 Core Review: As good as Linux Mint 17!

Zorin OS has a lot of takers in the new Linux converts from Windows. Recently, Zorin OS released it's 9th version based on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS with 5 years of support. For users who are familiar with Zorin, the release notes states of some incremental improvements over it's predecessors, namely:
"We are excited to announce the release of Zorin OS 9 Core and Ultimate. The main focus for Zorin OS 9 has been on stability and the refinement of Zorin OS' wide array of incredible features. Firstly, Zorin OS 9 includes a myriad of updated software and bug fixes to ensure that your computer runs better than ever. New applications such as the Firefox web browser and Rhythmbox music player have also been included in this release. EFI boot support has been added, making it easier to get Zorin OS on newer computers (64-bit only). In addition, we have introduced a new Blue desktop theme to the Zorin Theme Changer in complement to the Light and Dark themes. As Zorin OS 9 is based on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS you can expect to receive continuous software updates until 2019."

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
For this review, I download the 64-bit Zorin OS 9 Core ISO (1.4 GB in size), which is the free version of Zorin. It ships with Zorin's tweaked GNOME 3.10.4 desktop, resembling Windows 7 and Linux kernel 3.13.0. Files 3.10.4 is the default file manager.

I created a live USB using Unetbootin in Windows 8.1 on a 4 GB USB drive and did a live boot followed by installation on a 20 GB partition.

Hardware Used for Review
I left my favorite laptop in India (as it is a bit bulky) and came to Chicago with a lightweight Asus X200CA laptop with 1.8 Ghz Intel Core i3 3217U CPU, 4 GB DDR3 RAM and touch screen. I used this machine for this review.
Installation
I already configured my machine for Secure boot and UEFI to install Ubuntu 14.04 LTS previously. So, for Zorin OS 9, I didn't have to do all these things. Installation was simple and in easy step by step approach as shown below. It took about 10 min to install and get Zorin running on my laptop. Unfortunately I forgot to save the screenshots taken this time. However, the process didn't change significantly from Zorin OS 8 installation. Hence, what you see below are the Zorin OS 8 installation screenshots.
Bottomline: Very easy installation process
Score for Installation: 10/10

Hardware Recognition
Zorin OS 9 worked as good as Ubuntu to recognize screen resolution, touch pad configuration, WIFI, LAN, sound card, etc. Even it supported touch screen as good as Ubuntu and I had an enjoyable experience with Zorin on this laptop with touch screen. Everything worked as expected without any manual intervention.

Bottom line: Support touchscreen and modern hardware
Score for Hardware Recognition: 10/10

Aesthetics
Zorin OS default desktop looks like Windows 7, with a nice look sky blue wallpaper. The menu is simple and easy to browse.

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
Zorin ships with quite a few good looking Zorin wallpapers as shown below. Further, by right clicking on an image, users can set it up as the wallpaper.

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
Zorin ships with a couple of packages to control aesthetics, namely:

(1) Zorin look changer 
It now offers Windows XP and Gnome 2 look in addition to Windows 7. The Mac OS X look, which was there in Zorin OS 8, is now thankfully gone. It never looked remotely as pleasing as a Mac.

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
The Windows XP look is not as pleasing as Windows 7.

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
Gnome 2 one would please Gnome 2 fans and is not that bad. One thing I observed that I didn't have to log out to implement the look. In previous versions, I had to log out to apply the changed look.

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
(2) Zorin Theme Changer
Theme changer has now an additional Zorin blue theme in addition to Zorin light and dark themes. I found all three of them to be good and depending upon mood, users can alter the themes. Zorin dark is specially attractive.

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
Special effects
Compiz-config works like old Gnome 2 days with desktop cube configured. Either most of the Gnome distros don't offer these animations or are very difficult to configure for a Linux novice to get these simple basic animations. Zorin developers have done quite a good job here. To get the desktop cube, I had to press ctrl+alt and right or left arrow keys.

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
Windows + Tab keys when pressed together give the Windows 7 effect of open windows rotating on the screen - only in opposite direction from left to right.
From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in

Ctrl+alt and up arrow gives all 4 windows sent back. Additionally, there are hot corners to be configured.

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
There are a whole lot of effects and animations in the distro and it can be controlled by compiz-config settings manager, in case you get bored after a few days.

Overall, Zorin gets it right in terms of looks. It looks very stunning and should appeal to the new Linux users to show their friends that Linux is not at all boring and is in fact better looking than Windows.

Bottom line: Plenty of special effects and animations to keep you engaged
Score for Aesthetics: 10/10

Pre-Installed Packages
Zorin OS 9 ships with a standard set of packages, good enough for daily use, namely:
  • Office: LibreOffice 4.2.4.2 (Calc, Draw, Impress, Math, Base, Writer), Document viewer
  • Internet: Desktop Sharing, Empathy IM, Firefox 31, Remmina Remote Desktop, Thunderbird email client
  • Graphics: GIMP 2.8.10, Image viewer, Shotwell Photo Manager, Simple Scan, Screenshot
  • Multimedia: Brasero disc burner, Cheese webcam booth, Openshot video editor, Rhythmbox music player, Sound recorder, Videos
  • Accessories: Archive Manager, Backups, Calculator, Font viewer, File search, Terminal, gedit text editor
  • Others: Wine, PlayonLinux, Compiz-Config
Zorin Specials: Zorin web browser manager, Zorin look changer, Zorin theme changer
It is good to see Firefox in Zorin - I like Firefox for it's enhanced security over other browsers. The default search page (with Google search engine) is quite stunning I must say! Multimedia codecs and Adobe flash plugin are pre-installed in Zorin to help new users enjoy multimedia (online and offline) even on live boot.
From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in

Most of the applications, like a good office suite, desktop sharing, email client, image viewer and editor, image sharing options, CD/DVD writer, webcam support, video editor, multimedia players, backup options, etc. are pre-installed in Zorin and would save considerable time and effort of the new users who most often get lost in deciding which packages to install. 
Additionally, Zorin specific apps like Zorin web browser manager, among others, is there to choose and download a whole lot of browsers for multiple login and multi-tasking. Personally, I require multiple browsers (mostly I use Google Chrome, Chromium and Firefox) and really enjoyed this option to easy installation of Google Chrome, Opera and Midori.
Further, Wine and PlayonLinux are there for advanced users to install Windows programs like Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver, etc. and Microsoft Office 2010 in Linux. Firewall option is there for users who prefer more security in a local area network environment.
From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in

An integrated GNOME 3 Settings manager is there to configure and customize system settings. Also, it has an Online Accounts option to connect applications to social networking accounts like Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Google, Windows Live, Yahoo! etc. among others. It is really handy if you like to post a lot of photos in Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or Picasa, etc. Additionally, if you like to chat a lot, Empathy IM will automatically connect to Facebook messenger, Google hangout and Yahoo! chat.
I feel this is a healthy set of packages good enough for daily use. I would have been happier if a VoIP client (like Skype 4.3), a download manager and a torrent client been part of the package list.

Score for Pre-Installed Packages: 8/10

Repository
Zorin OS 9 sources packages from Ubuntu Trusty along with Zorin specific repositories. Additionally there are a few third party repos like Google Chrome, Opera, etc. are pre-configured.
Ubuntu Software Center is the default application to browse and install packages from the repositories. Ubuntu has a very good eco-system of applications and is perhaps the richest in the Linux world. Additionally, there is faster synaptic package manager as well for advanced users.
From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in

Generally, the issue with LTS distros is that their package list get antiquated pretty easily. To make my system more usable and to continue using the latest stable packages (remember it is an LTS and packages become antiquated within 6 months!), I installed several utility ppa's through terminal, namely:
  • LibreOffice ppa: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libreoffice/ppa
  • GIMP ppa: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:otto-kesselgulasch/gimp
  • VLC daily build ppa: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:videolan/stable-daily
  • Variety wallpaper changer: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:peterlevi/ppa
  • Calendar and power button: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:atareao/atareao
  • Silverlight substitute - Pipelight: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mqchael/pipelight-daily
  • Webup8: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nilarimogard/webupd8
  • Wine: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntu-wine/ppa
  • Docky: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:docky-core/ppa
Once added, I did a system update & upgrade: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
The LibreOffice installation got upgraded to 4.2.5.2. Then I installed Calendar Indicator, VLC player, Pipelight, Wine, PlayonLinux, etc. to make my installation more usable.
$ sudo apt-get install calendar-indicator vlc pipelight playonlinux docky

Evernote is one software I use a lot and hence, added the Everpad (Linux unofficial client of Evernote) through adding the ppa:
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:nvbn-rm/ppa
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install everpad
From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in

To install Pipelight, add the PPA and install Pipelight using the commands below:

$ sudo apt-add-repository ppa:pipelight/stable
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install pipelight-multi

Then, install the Silverlight plugin using the following command:
$ sudo pipelight-plugin --enable silverlight

To install the Widevine plugin, use the command below:
$ sudo pipelight-plugin --enable widevin

Further, I added a few other preferred applications like:

#Google Drive Ocamlfuse, a tool that lets you mount Google Drive in Linux
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:alessandro-strada/ppa
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install google-drive-ocamlfuse

Once installed, you'll firstly need to authorize it with Google, by running the following command:
$ google-drive-ocamlfuse

Now mount Google Drive. Create a folder in your home directory, let's call it "gdrive":
mkdir ~/gdrive

And mount Goole Drive using the command below:
$ google-drive-ocamlfuse ~/gdrive

#Dropbox
$ sudo apt-key adv --keyserver pgp.mit.edu --recv-keys 5044912E
$ sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://linux.dropbox.com/ubuntu/ trusty main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/dropbox.list'
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install dropbox

In case you are missing the dropbox icon in the panel, install the libappindicator
$ sudo apt-get install libappindicator1

#Google Earth
$ wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -
$ sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb/ stable main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google.list'
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install google-earth-stable

#Google Music
$ wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -
$ sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://dl.google.com/linux/musicmanager/deb/ stable main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google.list'
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install google-musicmanager-beta

#Google-talk
$ wget -q -O - https://dl-ssl.google.com/linux/linux_signing_key.pub | sudo apt-key add -
$ sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://dl.google.com/linux/talkplugin/deb/ stable main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google.list'
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install google-talkplugin

#Linux Mint and USB Image writer / USB stick formatter
$ sudo sh -c 'echo "deb http://packages.linuxmint.com/ qiana main" >> /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mint.list'
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install linuxmint-keyring
$ sudo apt-get install mintstick

#To create and read .rar archived files
$ sudo apt-get install rar urar

#To control CPU frequency and reduce laptop heat
$ sudo apt-get install indicator-cpufreq

Though document viewer works perfectly fine, but at times I require Adobe acrobat reader, especially for dynamic content. Installation of Adobe acroread is a bit tricky and I document here, what worked with me. I downloaded the AdbeRdr9.5.5-1_i486linux_enu.bin file from Adobe website and put it in the home directory. I opened terminal and ran the following commands:
$ sudo chmod +x ./AdbeRdr9.5.5-1_i486linux_enu.bin
$ sudo ./AdbeRdr9.5.5-1_i486linux_enu.bin
Agree to whatever options it asks and once installed it is time to install 32-bit architecture, if your OS is 64-bit.
$ sudo apt-get install ia32-libs
Post installation, Adobe Acrobat Reader should work without any issue.

If you are not comfortable of hitting the terminal, there is an easier way for you – Ubuntu After Install. The complete list of applications that can be installed using Ubuntu After Install is given below:
  • Ubuntu Restricted Extras: video codecs and Flash Plugin
  • libdvdcss to enable DVD playback
  • Unity Tweak Tool to tweak your desktop settings
  • Variety is a feature rich wallpaper changer for Ubuntu
  • Google Chrome is arguably the best browser available
  • LibreOffice is the complete open source Office software replacement
  • Skype offers text, voice and video chat
  • Grive Tools will sync your Google Drive to your computer
  • DropBox will sync your DropBox cloud storage
  • VLC will play any video file you can imagine
  • XBMC is a complete home media center experience
  • Radio Tray will stream online radio to your desktop
  • GIMP is powerful image editing software
  • Darktable allows photographers to process RAW files
  • Inkscape is vector based illustration and graphics editor
  • Scribus professional quality desktop publishing software
  • Samba allows for windows network sharing
  • PDF Tools to merge, cut, append and edit PDF documents
  • OpenShot is a great video editor ideal for most users
  • Kdenlive for more advanced video editing
  • Handbrake to convert DVD’s and videos for mobile devices
  • Audacity for music and sound editing
  • Steam gaming platform for unlimited gaming joy on Linux
  • KeePass to store all your passwords securely
  • Shutter allows you to do easy screenshots
  • FileZilla for FTP file up- and downloads
  • p7zip adds the powerful 7zip file compression and decompression
Add the ‘Ubuntu After Install’ PPA and install it as shown below.

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:thefanclub/ubuntu-after-install
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get install ubuntu-after-install  

Performance
Zorin OS 9 gave very good performance on my Asus X200CA with Core i3 moderately powered processor and 4 GB RAM. I could use touch functions effectively, without experiencing any laptop with multiple programs running in parallel and even after several hours of usage. I am using Zorin for last 2 weeks and the experience has been fantastic.

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
Zorin's resource usage is moderate with 460 MB RAM and 0-5% CPU consumption, which is 17% higher than average GNOME or GNOME tweaked distros. 

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
However, Zorin boots up fast (at 30 seconds on this machine) which 27% faster than average GNOME or GNOME tweaked distros.

From Zorin OS 9 http://mylinuxexplore.blogspot.in
In overall, I feel Zorin offers decent performance and it can be a preferred distro for production laptops as a replacement to Windows OS, given it's long term support.

Score for Performance: 9/10

Overall
Though personally I don't like Linux operating system resembling Windows (I had really bad experiences with Windows and lost a lot of data in the past at a critical phase in my student life and OS resembling Windows reminds me of the same), but I have seen Zorin OS to be quite popular among the new users, specially those who are converting from Windows to Linux. Even I used Zorin OS for sometime in the past, but once I upgraded Zorin to the next release, it became Ubuntu and all Zorin specific customization are lost. However, the recent Zorin OS release is supported for 5 years (till April 2019) and possibly you don't need to upgrade it for quite sometime, given the customization I am recommending in this article.

Personally, after Zorin for a while, it feels like a rock solid distro with support for advanced hardware. It seems a very good option for users with low cost modern laptops with touch support with limited specs and running Windows 8 as the primary OS. The laptop on which I tested Zorin OS 9 is one of them and I personally didn't have a pleasant experience with Windows 8.1. If you have a Windows 8 low spec laptop, surely you can try out Zorin and prepared to be surprised by the amazing speed and functionality it offers.

The present release of Zorin is at par with Linux Mint 17 Cinnamon, the best Linux distro that I used this year. This is a release you should check out definitely, if you own a touch screen laptop. You can download 32 and 64 bit versions of Zorin OS 9 from here.

Final Score: 9.5/10
Breakup

Parameter Weights (%) Score
Installation 20 10.0
Aesthetics 20 10.0
Hardware Recognition 20 10.0
Pre-installed Packages 10 8.0
Performance 30 9.0
Overall 100 9.5

47 comments:

  1. I used Zorin during my early transition from Windows phase. I wish I could use many distros as primary. My default is Netrunner though. I was wondering as far as windows goes since you already had it if you could run the same tests that you use for linux. Obviously installation wouldn't be covered. I just hear how linux is supposed to be faster than Windows, and I have used that argument as well. Just some basic number breakdowns on performance, RAM, CPU type review. Might be a good time for recommendations on improvements of its UI as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Brock,

      Thanks for reading my blog. I guess you raised a fair point. In my benchmark tests, Windows 8 took about 1.5 GB RAM and 0-5% to boot the desktop.

      Further, multi-tasking increased the RAM usage to around 3 GB whereas in Ubuntu/Zorin it rarely crossed 2.5 GB. Even at 100% CPU usage in Linux, I didn't experience any lag, whereas the same can't be said about Windows 8. After continuous 18-20 hours of usage Windows lagged significantly but not Linux.

      However, I found WIndows 8 to manage laptop heat better than Linux. I had to manually tweak my Zorin/Ubuntu installation a bit and control CPU frequency on my moderately powered Asus X200CA to reduce heat. Further, touch support in Win8 is way better than Ubuntu at present.

      I guess there are plus and minus points in both Linux and Windows. But, without any doubt, Linux is way faster than Windows and never lag even after continuous days of usage.

      Regards,
      Arindam

      Delete
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      Delete
  2. Which download manager do you use? I notice you take away points for distros not having them pre-installed.I'm relatively new to Linux. What's the difference between a download manager and a browser handling downloads?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I use uget or multiget download manager in Ubuntu. There are other download managers available in Linux as well like kget, etc. With download manager you can pause and download later, sequence and synchronize your download, which unfortunately stock browsers don't provide. It becomes very essential if you are downloading big files and your Internet connection is not fast.

      Delete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. which linux distro you prefer to use on your computer?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have 4 systems and use 4 different OS: Manjaro XFCE for an old laptop with Celeron processor, Ubuntu 14.04 LTS for a touch screen laptop with core i3, Mint Cinnamon for the laptop I work on and Peppermint OS for an old P4 machine :).

      Delete
  5. When trying to install Zorin OS 9 on an old Acer T180 with NVDIA Geforce 6100 graphic card I got several times screen freezes until I realized I should start in nomodeset. I couldn't find this in the Zorin instructions which are minimal. Otherwise it is - in Windows 7 mode - a pleasantly working distro. For my 2 GB machine a bit slow so I may try it with the LXDE desktop.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It may be because of incompatibility of graphic drivers. I guess, LXDE version will work good on you laptop with 2 GB, much better than the gnome spin. LXDE takes about 1/3 of the resources to work.

      Delete
  6. Bonjour! A short message from a Linux enthusiast and admirer of your blog...
    Zorin Lite is here!!!
    Regards,
    Michel

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Michel:

      My laptop is 64 bit and 32 bit doesn't work with the Secureboot UEFI. Hence, once the 64 bit version is out, I'll review it for sure.

      Regards,
      Arindam

      Delete
  7. I am really looking forward to a review of the light weight LXDE version soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Brock:

      My laptop is 64 bit and 32 bit doesn't work with the Secureboot UEFI. Hence, once the 64 bit version is out, I'll review it for sure.

      Regards,
      Arindam

      Delete
  8. Yes Secureboot has been a real pain on my wife's laptop. I will wait patiently for another excellent review and check daily for it as I always do. Keep up the good work!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Can I ask you to suggest me a distro for a Intel NUC (Celeron N2820 model + plenty RAM 8G) that I'm buying? I have hopped many distros on many machines in the past and looking for something ...
    - Not based on Ubuntu/Debian (for a change)
    - Rolling release
    - Not too basic. Based on your reviews I'm running Crunch/Arch Bang on another restricted h/w laptop of mine, but this time family is demanding something more friendly. ;)
    - Not too splurgy on resources either (as I'm also planning to run Windows 7 (Starter) in a KVM side by side on the box.
    - Though I have nothing against KDE, I wish to continue using the same application for photo (Shotwell) and music (audacious/clementine/Dedbeef) as I have on all previous distros. (but I'm ready to make a switch if a KDE distro is compellingly good)

    In short, something that needs less maintenance and would continue in the long haul. Elementary OS is tempting but does not fit the first 2 criteria. Any other suggestions?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi,

      Given your computer's processor, I guess you can try out two beautiful distros : Voyager Linux and LXLE. However, given you don't want to try out Ubuntu or Arch based distros, I would recommend you to try out Manjaro XFCE. It is a rolling release distro and XFCE is can be customized a lot. The desktop is way more friendly than Openbox in Archbang or Crunchbang. Manjaro is based on Arch linux.

      Another amazing distro you can check is ROSA LXDE, based on Mandriva. It is one of the best looking distros I have used and works amazing on low spec systems.

      If you need a different flavor of KDE, you can try out Netrunner Arch. It has what you wish from a KDE distro :).

      Manjaro is of course my first choice.

      Regards,
      Arindam

      Delete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey
    Thanx for the great review, its very insightful. I'm currently using Mint 17 Cinnamon which you also have a great review for, but my only issue with it is customization, especially on the topic of Compiz. Through a bit of research I've come to the conclusion that Compiz and its features are not compatible with Cinnamon. I'd like to know if there is any fully alternative effect manager like Compiz for cinnamon for effects such as 3D windows, Transformable windows, water effect, Cube Reflection and Deformation. I did however install wobbly windows by wobbly-windows@mecheye.net but its laggy and tearing, its not smooth. Lastly Is there anyway to customize my window themes like using black ones, I like a dark desktop and don't like the white/silver ones that come with the installation. I know Compiz is however compatible with Mate, but I'm not sure about switching just for effects, It doesn't seem ideal for me.

    But after reading the Zorin review I'm torn between keeping Mint 17 (if getting the alternatives is possible) and getting Zorin 9. Im new to linux, just been using it for about a week now and I have a touchscreen ASUS Vivobook S550CA with an Intel Core i3 processor and 4GB RAM. Zorin seems like the best for me because my screens touch feature isn't working with Mint. So basically my main question is: Is switching from Mint to Zorin a good move?

    I apologize for the stupidly long and daunting comment but I just really need an experts advice, please help.

    Karl

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Give Zorin 9 a try. I have been trying out various Linux's (ie Distro-hopping) for a couple of years now (confession: I still do it) since my 'move' from Windows. Zorin just seems to fill my needs and ..just works. The beauty with Linux.. simply install another distro if you find something more suited to your needs. I use Zorin 9 Ultimate on my PC and Zorin 9 Lite on my netbook. After several upgrades of Zorin.. I have never had a problem with it.

      Delete
  12. I install Zori on my Asus X200CA so far everything running smooth but for some reason touch screen is no working when I use any browser. Ubuntu 14 was better at it

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, even I found Ubuntu 14.04 to be better in touch screen recognition than other Linux distros. I made a Mac OS X out of Ubuntu :)

      Delete
  13. I prefer Linux Mint Image Writer over Unetbootin.
    Is it a Win7 or Win8 laptop you are using?

    ReplyDelete
  14. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  15. tried Zorin 9 on my kid's computer and all I can say is WOW! Wow for the nice and simple aesthetic, the ease of use and the great reactivity, one of the best I have seen. I ran diverses Linux OS on my PCs since 2010 (mainly Xubuntu and #! for the last 2 years, give a try at Mint, PClinuxOS, Bohdi, different buntus and others) and Zorin really knock me off!!! No problem installing anything (Dropbox, Minecraft, Office or Steam), they all install and run smoothly!
    All and all, this OS is a really nice piece of work. Thumbs up for the devloppers! It's not just a cosmetic exercice,It's great work at all levels!!

    One little bug with Dropbox icon in the tray in the Win7 theme, the box open under the bar, so I can't open the dropbox folder from there.

    I have one question: On my PC,,Zorin 9 is really fast and even Chrome and Firefox are faster (2 seconds maybee) on Zorin than on my fresh install of Xubuntu 14.04 (or my old install of Xubuntu 12.04). Even my kid notice it. Is it the same for everyone?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharing your experience with Zorin Lite. Yes, Zorin is faster than any XFCE distro and most of the LXDE distros I have used. It is running good and has given a fresh lease of life to a couple of my antiquated machines.

      Delete
  16. Firstly, thank you very much for a well-balanced review. Secondly, could you explain to us how did you tackle the overheating problem, as I am facing it on my ThinkPad T410s. Heat is between 62C (idle) .. 67C (moderate work) .. 80C (video play). Regards!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for liking my review. Could you please check your computer's graphic cards by running the following commands:
      lspci | grep VGA

      Delete
  17. Thank you for the outstanding review on Zorin. I am preparing at instal it on my 10 year old Emachine,
    running 2 GB of ram ddr2, and a hard drive about 30% filled up. It took me ten years to really get familiar with Windows, and after reading the set up procedures on ZOrin, and your blog, I feel I
    am conversant on Zorin. My grandaughters husband turned me on to Zorin and he was really
    excited about it. (He has had it for a year).
    I have one question, are there any system requirements for Zorin? Other than ram and disc space?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Joe:

      Please backup your files before installing. Zorin OS 9 requires at least a dual core processor to function effectively. If not, you can please try out Zorin OS 9 Lite. It works blazing fast on my Pentium 4 desktop with 1 GB DDR RAM.

      Regards,
      Arindam

      Delete
  18. Mint XFCE 17 doesn't work on my Win8.1 laptop as well. Please check Xubuntu, it works even on my Win8.1 laptop with touch screen.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi! I found AWN very buggy on Zorin OS core 9 (the free version). For example the applet near the clock which shows network manager's indicator and so on, sometimes doesn't show icons correctly, they just dissappear immediately after you log in using lightdm.
    Another example of bad functioning is that Cairo Main Menu applet doesn't show well: it gets overlapped with the panel (sometimes).

    I didn't find the solution for those problems and now I was wondering if we can install gnome-panel and use it instead of AWN, but with dockbarx applet.

    Last but not least I think this distribution is great but it could be better if it hadn't the problems mentioned.

    Greetings! And congratulations for your post!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am a new linux convert and im i have installed several linux, and so far zorin os 9 is my favorite. But i still have not connected to home netwrked printers , wireless and wired connected to router. The models are brother mfc-l2703dw and hl2700dw

    ReplyDelete
  21. Nice work by Arindam on this blog......
    I am using zorin 9 core on my hp 630 notebook. It is working very smooth on it.

    ReplyDelete
  22. 2 attempt already trying to install this software and both times it has fail . Anyone that takes this bloggers advise should deserve what you get once you realize what a total un useable software Zorin 10 . Also you Sir should be ashamed of your self for giving this crap it approve

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is merely his opinion from the experience he had with the software. Also this review is of Zorin 9, not 10.

      Delete
  23. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I also tryed there 10 version and it does sucks big time . New comp gets crash with 10 . Zorin is garbage . No wonder they're only supporting it until 2016, it's new and they know it's garbage

    ReplyDelete
  25. Ya instalé Zorin 9.0 en VirtualBox. Primero intenté poner música; luego intenté poner películas. Fracasé porque no sé dónde están los discos duros. No los pude encontrar. Debe ser que el sistema les cambia los nombres, pero en Equipo no aparecen. Necesito ayuda, por favor. Gracias.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Excellent review!! But zorin 10 is out! We need a review of the new one pleaseeeeee!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi!
    Awesome post, really useful!

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    Thanks for sharing with us.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Thanks for sharing, nice post! Post really provice useful information!

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    ReplyDelete

  29. Wow, amazing block structure! How long
    Have you written a blog before? Working on a blog seems easy.
    The overview of your website is pretty good, not to mention what it does.
    Zorin OS Pro

    ReplyDelete
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