As the title suggests I am looking into installing Zorin OS 16 onto my (now older) 2-in-1 "laptop"/tablet, more specifically the ASUS Transformer Book T100TA.
I am currently running Windows 10 21H2 on it, and I feel like it's starting to show its age in terms of overall speed capabilities, and therefore I am looking into alternatives in the world of Linux in order to make my browsing/lightweight media consumption time spent on this neat little machine more pleasant.
Distros that have caught my attention are Zorin OS, Elementary OS, and Xubuntu - They all look (graphically) pleasing and easy to get into coming from the Windows ecosystem.
So my biggest concerns are these:
Can I even install Zorin OS on this tablet?
Will the touchscreen still work?
Are the drivers for the touchpad (multi-touch/gestures)?
The best way to check out the hardware compatibility without any risk is to create a Live USB stick and test run from it. In Windows, I recommend using Rufus for creating a Live USB.
Thanks a lot for the information (and to everyone else that has replied as well)!
I made a bootable USB of the Zorin OS Core with the help of balenaBatcher yesterday, currently booting up from that USB on the tablet (checking MD5's as I type this out).
Guess I'll try the "Live"-option now
If the touchscreen is not working "OotB" - What route can I go down to try to get it to work? I read on some post from like 2016 on a Ubuntu-forum that there may be packages to download or things in the OS to disable; But I can't for the love of my life find that thread again or what packages to install/commands to run...
EDIT: If swapping to the "LITE"-version instead of Core, what are some things I can expect to be missing (in terms of features)?
Also; Touchscreen and touchpad both seem to work on the "LIVE"-boot
EDIT2:
Are themes not available on the Live-boot or Core-version of Zorin? Wanted to try out Darkmode and see if there was a "tablet"-mode of some sort "/
I'm more than happy with what I saw during the live-boot, so currently installing Core. I might (most likely) switch to the Lite-version as soon as they hit v.16 on that one as well.
Everything seemed to be working the way I wanted it to work, now it will be down to some tinkering. Been quite a few years since I actively used Linux (I believe Ubuntu 12 or something was the rave at the time).
Neither. Gnome and XFCE both remain and can be logged into and used independently. Much of XFCE (like LXDE) is modular.
XFCE4 is running while Gnome is not, so it is not layered and you see the same performance you would running XFCE if Gnome were not present at all.
In fact, it was an interesting test I did not long ago and commented on in a thread about testing out LXDE, that XFCE (Which I have installed alongside Gnome on Z16 Core) performed on par with the lighter LXDE.
There is a definite speed change when log into Gnome Desktop on this machine. Things slow down significantly. But I also avoid logging into Gnome, only doing so to test Forum User issues or to find settings or answers to Gnome related questions (Or, on occasion, to test aspects of a theme I am making).
In Z15 Lite, the build comes with docbarx installed. This is the feature that you see apps pinned to the panel (or taskbar) next to the Zorin App Menu. This is also, in my own opinion, redundant as any launcher can be configured and placed on the panel anyway... So I always removed it. I don't like pinned apps and I don't like them on the Left Side of the panel and so on...
Aside from that... There are very few actual differences that would be apparent for Your Use. And if you like dockbarx, it is very easy to install.
