I’ve been a Zorin OS user for many years. About a year ago I installed it on my MacBook Pro (2012, Intel i5). Previously, I had faced several Wi-Fi issues and random crashes on this machine — I even created a few forum posts back then about them.
Surprisingly, when I reinstalled Zorin OS a year ago, all those problems disappeared. Since then, the system has been running flawlessly.
Here’s what I love about it:
Battery Life: Fantastic. I can watch Netflix or other streaming services for hours without worrying. Closing the lid instantly puts the laptop to sleep, which saves even more battery. Wake-up from sleep is fast and reliable.
Performance: While the specs of a 2012 MacBook inevitably limit raw performance, Zorin OS keeps things smooth and responsive for everyday tasks.
Productivity: Coding and designing websites in VS Code feels seamless. Office work is a breeze.
Gaming: Not a powerhouse, but casual gaming works decently.
Extras: Zorin Connect is a game-changer for integrating my laptop with my phone.
Updates: On-time updates and a stable experience make it feel “set and forget.”
Overall, even with decade-old hardware, Zorin OS has turned my MacBook into a reliable, efficient daily driver. For anyone wondering if an older Mac can still shine with the right OS — my answer is a resounding yes . I love the way zorin supports such old system. Love ur work guys .
Here another Zorin user with a Macbook Pro 13" from 2012. It runs flawlessly, battery life is very good, and I am running different tests to know which is his limit. I think it will turn into web browser machine, e-mail, music player, office documents management, and a litle % of vscode coding with Github Copilot to learn python ... It's incredible what can do a simple machine from 2012.
I have tested Ubuntu, Mint, ElementaryOS, and now I am on Zorin for one or two months. At time I will decide what distribution of Linux is more adequate for my needs. At the moment, Zorin is the most simplest way to achieve these needs without troubles. All the ports are running, external monitor with a minidisplayport -> HDMI runs well, external SD cards are readable / writable directly from the mbp slot, bluetooth sends perfectly the sound to my external Sony speakers, wi-fi is running ...
My only concern is with the keyboard. How I will love the day that a Linux distribution specially for old macs will be released, with the same mac keys as MacOS. Think at the thousand and thousand old macs that could change to Linux with an usb and 4 clicks ... with the same keys.
I'm glad so much is working for you, and that your not having to fight, to get things working, excellent! Apple & Microsoft share something in common, they both love to be closed tight proprietary, and don't want Linux to be a part of the party, they fight tooth and nail to prevent it. I don't really see a day, when Apple accepts Linux into their hearts. They are the exact same way with their phones, locked down proprietary.
What do you mean by "How I will love the day that a Linux distribution specially for old macs will be released, with the same mac keys as MacOS"? Do you mean the keyboard layout? You can choose a Macintosh keyboard during the install process and probably afterwards.
I am glad to hear that it's all working great for your MacBook Pro, this was the good time when Apple hardware could run anything.
If you are using X11, check out Kinto, it allows you to have Mac OS X shortcuts in Linux: GitHub - rbreaves/kinto: Mac-style shortcut keys for Linux & Windows.
A few weeks later, I am fighting with YouTube videos play, that pull the fans so loud that is not usable without earphones. That is not the case in his macOS Catalina, running flawlessly the same videos :-/ Any idea to solve this ?
On the other side, I have tried an install on my MBP 15 from 2015 Retina, and have experienced so many problems with suspend mode, high cpu usage on YouTube with the fans at his max output etc. An absolute nonsense that turns this beautiful machine on a nightmare. I am currently returned it to his macOS Monterey, and searching for more information in the internet but no good results at the moment.
@ZorinUserJoan Did you change something? Were the fans quiet a month ago while watching videos? In your last post you wrote that everything was fine.
You are still on Zorin lite, or aren't you?
