I liked the few sparse reviews and when I was told you can get the Windows 7 look and feel, I was hooked. Then I did not find much about information comparing the versions, except some very vage comparison on the Zorin page, so I did not want the education bloat - I chose Core 15.3
Installation went normal as used from Mint. The first look of the interface and desktop was pleasing BUT:
My language is English and my Keyboard is Spanish, so why is the date with a Spanish weekday, and the search engine in Firefox thinks I speek Spanish? (non of these errors are in Mint)
I tried to install Double Commander, but the search via the software installation did not find it. (shopping is not a good name [replaced by moderator - Name-calling] for software installation)
I tried for Plank, since I worke with a top (Apple like) menu on Windows for years and have it on all my Mint installations (4 pc), but no Plank except some vage Plank utility what from the description was not what I wanted.
where was Redshift, oh it neeeds to be installed first and then has no idea where I am even the time zome was selected during the installation, so it does not work.
I tried to customize my desktop to a more colorful Windows 7 experience, but was severly limited to Zorin presets and could not find where to download other themes.
Sorry Zorin Brothers, but I came for the customisation of the interface, but it seemed to me that you severly limit peoples choice and stick them with a limited software choice.
Also it was mentioned that Wine would be included, but when I clicked on my first windows program, Wine needed to install itself, what was overall automatic and needed just a few Enter keys to do it including the 3 dependencies.
so what I get is a severly crippled interface what looks nice at the first view but then is quite limited and a few other ni**les.
after an hour customasing and installation troubles, checking the forum for Plank and saw a Zorin response you need the pay version with the Apple interface to have an Apple like menu bar, it was time to put Mint on my newest install.
Sorry, I tried, but you Zorins going the wrong way.
and what is this when I want to post ,"Your post contains a word that’s not allowed: ni**les.
EXCUSE ME [edited out by moderator - Ad hominem]? look in the dictionary it stands for something what anoys you. the 2 ** are gg. Gosh - really???
30 years Windows…that’s the problem. Staring out the window too long. Zorin gave you the whole world and you didn’t know how to handle it! haha
Just kidding. But seriously, Mint is awesome and extremely easy to use and highly customizable. Zorin just works…out the box. Nothing really needed if you’re looking for an OS that will give you everyday usage. And, it is highly customizable as well. 1 hour isn’t enough time for you much less us experienced Linux people to browse around and figure it all out.
I am sure if you would have stuck around a few hours longer, it would have grown on you, especially if you had come to the forum to ask questions rather than to just post your exit statement.
A bit of a contradiction in complaining of "bloat" in Zorin Education, then complaining that the apps he wanted did not come preinstalled.
Pick one.
There are Very Good Reasons for Wine to not come preinstalled on the OS. But the Zorin team made installing Wine the Easiest Installation Ever.
Installing Wine on Zorin is as easy as
sudo apt install zorin-windows-app-support
For Zorin OS versions prior to Zorin 15, Wine did, indeed, come installed on Zorin OS and older articles undoubtedly say so.
The various other complaints- Some have merit and I agree with them. FIrefox troubles and Gnome Desktop troubles looking good, but lacking user friendliness and functionality are good examples.
That is why the forum is here- To act as a guide, help find answers and explain differences.
I sort of had the opposite experience. I did pay for Ultimate just because I felt like it and used it for a few weeks before Covid hit and my hobbyroom became my office. Almost 1 year later, new computer at work, so why not refresh the old one with Linux? I tested the beautiful Pop-OS ... and came screaming back to Zorin
What feels like mere 7 klicks later I got a beautiful desktop that works the way I want it to. I'd say Zorin is moving in the right direction. I want less terminal, I want a clean set-up, I'm not after a "Linux experience", I just want it to work and I want to be able to throw out Windows (not possible, I work with CAD/IT support, but dare to dream!).
Also, I feel it important to point out that the OP mentioned that they installed Core, well, isn't that Gnome? So, of course his customizations were going to be limited, Gnome don't want you to customize anything!
Anybody who spends a couple weeks with Linux, will have learned, that XFCE is the way to go with customization. And you do get XFCE with Zorin, if you install Zorin LITE. Basically, the OP wants a Windows experience, where everything is chosen for them.
Hey, if you want to give your life to Microsoft, where they completely own you, go right ahead. But if you want to take back your life by the boot straps, then you gotta have Linux, its as simple as that.
Hi, I'm just experimenting with the free Education version (it might be usable for my students that only have old computers). But I have partly the same question as the OP: I picked the English language and usage of US English keyboard. But my date shows in Dutch ...
Can that somehow be solved/corrected?
Thanks, kind regards,
Frank
P.S. Never mind, it was actually very easy and found out myself
Propably everyone they forgot a project Zorin is for users who never used a linux and never have experienced with linux.
The Zorin just is a simple. That the first step.
Second step that is normal if linux users understable better linux- when learning on first linux example Zorin, they starting testing and distrohopping to another linux distributions to get the experiences, watching another sides debian,ubuntu and arch with diffrent packages.
Soon in december this year coming LMDE6 mint on debian 12 bookworm. This propably gived a mint more users. Besides in this thousands linux distribution on Distrowatch Zorin still is on top 10 place Zorin distributions. People doesn't liked complicated a distributions.
Gnome I don't liked personally to much complicated for me and he is like a elephant.
So like a Titus sayed it is just linux with only diffrent desktop enviroments and recompiled a packages. They are all like a twins with diffrent settings and politics.
Here is more explanation what Titus sayed.
