So I have tried linux on and off for years and never been satisfied. It's not bug free and the answer to most issues is "well you can access the source code, fix it yourself!". With the exception of a bit of micro controller programming, I am no programmer and have no desire to tinker with the code of my OS. I want an OS that works so that I can get on with my own work.
Is Zorin really different? I've spent a long time telling people that I will happily pay money for an alternative OS to windows, providing it actually works and is supported by more that "fix it your damn self if you think it's broke".
Hello and welcome to the forum
For this question, you are the best judge.
Everybody has a different work flow and there is no one size fit all solution.
I suggest you to download either Core or Lite version and create a live USB to test run yourself.
Pro version is not really a merchandise. It is essentially the same as free versions. Pro comes with 4 additional desktop layouts and pre-installed applications. All applications can be easily installed in Software in Core/Lite version.
It is offered for those who wish to support developers (there are only 2 people in the team) in lieu of making a donation.
I think the big difference is that Zorin seems to be designed from the ground up to be easy for former Windows users to use. I have only been using it for a couple of months but have found it to be just as stable and maybe more so than Windows. I have also found that almost any program you would use in Windows you can find an equivalent in Linux. And some of them seem to be much easier to use. For instance Okular is a text file viewer that can read any kind of text file and works better than Adobe Acrobat which is no longer supported on any platform. And the final icing on the cake is THIS forum. The volunteers here will make every effort to help you solve any problems you might run into as a new user of Zorin.
Yes I agree .... when I started out I did the trial of Zorin 16 .... liked what I saw and installed the OS .... played with it for a few weeks and decided to give something back to the developers so I went Pro and never looked back ....
I dual-boot Zorin 16 Pro and Win 10 only because I can with my system but I haven't logged into Win in a long time .... no need to .... Zorin has everything I need ...
As for support you get the best support with the current support team than you will find any where .... they will try and answer ALL your questions .... how do I know ..... because when I first started everything that could be screwed up I managed to screw up ..... I have reloaded Zorin 16 Pro so many times I can do it in my sleep ....
10 or so years ago I tried to use Ubuntu and I got the same support as you did .... if you can't do something than look it up on the web .... I got banned from the board after I answered them back .... LOL
Take your time and by all means ask questions .... that is the way you learn .... enjoy your journey .... it does get to be fun as you go along ....
Zorin is a stellar distro in my humble opinion. Out of the box ease of use. Since there are so many more Windows users than Mac users, we often see Zorin referred to as a great distro because it is so easy for former Windows users to pick up and use right away. I would suggest the same is definitely true for former Mac users as well. I do not miss Apple at all. Like Apple, Zorin has out of the box ease and it is so easy on the eyes. It is just stunningly beautiful.
Next, this forum really makes Zorin stand head and shoulders above the dozen or so distros I have tried. I did a lot research prior to choosing Zorin as my initial foray into Linux. I was immediately impressed. But then curiosity led me to distro hop around. There was a fairly close competitor or two based on the distros themselves. But as a new Linux user, I also need a strong support community. This Zorin Forum has been magnificent and far better than the others I have checked out. Roughly a dozen, maybe a couple more.
On this:
You will find me to be somewhere in between. I firmly believe in encouraging the user to achieve their best self.
I migrated from Windows not so long ago. I remember the struggles, well. I remember the dependency issues on Windows. The failed installations. And troubleshooting 0x0000000f1 this operation has performed an illegal operation.
All the stuff that people transferring to Linux suddenly forget ever having to deal with on Windows.
Windows teaches us to feel hopeless and frustrated in such times.
Linux teaches us what We Can Do. It teaches us that there are solutions.
So that when you do need to go into the code and make a fix, you feel empowered and able instead of just lost and confused.
Like being able to change a flat tire. Or check your vehicle fluids. There is much that the user can and should be able to do.
On Windows... :"Just sit back and relax. We will take care of everything." While selling your target marketable Data. the more control you release to them by feeling hopeless, the more power that they have.
On Linux...: "We will teach you how to fish." The power is restored to where it belongs... You.
eh... should I go on about Apple eco system?
My husband vehemently refuses to be a part of it.
He got tremendous pressure from his colleagues to use iMessage but he refuses. I think I married to a right guy
Zorin always new version was diffrents. Not like many the same clones distribution Ubuntu - ok POP OS is diffrent also but this is a company and they go alone way. They want be something a kind "Apple".
So I gather Zorin is based on Ubuntu, so how does Zorin get round the Ubuntu problems, I recently tried it and out of the box it failed to do updates. After a lot of searching and trying multiple versions of the same things suggested on various forums I found the current way that worked to fix the problem that came out of the box.
So far the only thing that has been said that sets Zorin apart is "this forum", sure, I don't need to visit any forums for windows just to use it. It just works mostly.
I'm still confused as to how this is not just another linux distro. I just wish there was only one, no commercial software house or hardware manufacturer will take linux seriously when everyone wants to make up their own different version. How do a couple of people deal with all of that? Windows sure needs some serious competition to make it play nice again but I just find myself going around the same circles every time I step out of windows.
Apple solved all of this of course by controlling both the hardware and software so that they don't have to keep dealing with other peoples mess.
No it is pop that want to be like apple. They build computers and sell them with Pop installed. That is apples model. Elementary seems to simply copy concepts from apple for the OS look and feel, they are not trying to sell the whole bundle.
See I don't know how a linux distro is made and to me basing one off another that you may despise does not make sense. You see this is my problem. I don't want to care how my OS is made, I just want to use my computer to do other things, but now i have to understand how some OS is built so that I can feel confident it won't be another waste of time.
Not saying it is a problem, just pointing out the misunderstanding one person had of another's take on one OS versus another. One looks like apple because the developers have a background in apple, the other is actually using a similar business model. Neither makes any odds to me, it's just a fact of how each has come to be what it is.
StarLabs offers computers for Linux - you can choose the distro. Many computers are built specifically for Windows. For this reason, having a company assemble and build Computers For Linux is a good thing.
As far as I know, the Zorins do not despise Ubuntu...
If you drive a car, you must understand how it works in order to operate it safely.
This is also true if you want to operate a chainsaw. You don't want the chain flying off and going through your neck.
Zorin OS is based on Ubuntu, but has performance tweaks that make it run faster.
Zorin OS offers two heavily configured Desktops: Gnome and XFCE. Both of these are set up with a lot of additional software to ensure that they are easy to use and work well without additional configuration.
For the vast majority of users, Zorin OS just Works.
But when it does not, it's like any other machine you use, car, boat, chainsaw... You need to roll up your sleeves and get to fixin.'
You can use this Forum as your shop, to find the resources you need to get your computer back to optimal.
We are volunteer users, not employed by the ZorinGroup. We are not bonafide developers and while willing to help as best we can, we may also struggle.
and we are even allowed to make a joke as long as it is not of an offensive nature 
