This probably should be in a general help. But this is for the future knowledge. I am wondering if anybody has done a Zorin install on a brand new computer without letting Microsoft take over and install first. Don't want to have to go through the Microsoft requirement junk. Then install Zorin.
Yes, on new computer and on new hard drives.
On a brand new computer, it will not have Windows OS on it unless the supplier installs it. So if the brand new computer is a blank slate , Microsoft cannot - and has no means whatsoever to do so - take over and install WIndows OS.
It is a free and unrestricted field you can dance around in stripped and slathered in runny peanut butter if you want to.
So I am guessing I would just do an install through the BIOS. And boot from USB. Is that what I am thinking?
Yep, insert the USB stick with the .iso burned as a bootable media - you can use LiveTrial mode or just install directly from the grub menu.
Cool, Thank You. For the Intel.
I think we need to be clear on where the computer is being purchased from, and if advertised as coming with Windows ##.
Before booting off the installation media you would need to disable Fast Boot and Secure Boot. If Fast Boot is enabled you would not be able to boot off the USB.
To safely boot off the installation media, be sure to enter the BIOS first, go to a heading labelled 'Boot' which should list all available bootable devices. (I have an ASUS motherboard so it is either F2 or Del key to boot into BIOS then F8 to choose boot option. On other machines it might be 'Boot Prority' or 'Boot Order').
If using Ventoy, you will see either two or possibly 3 options. USB, UEFI USB or UEFI USB Partition 1 and UEFI USB Partition 2.
As you have disabled Secure Boot, go for USB (without UEFI).
The only providers of new computers without an existing/bundled OS are Linux Hardware manufacturers of Notebooks, NUCs, and Desktop hardware.
Ok, These were my secret thoughts anyways. I was going to disable the Secure Boot. "Never heard of Fast Boot" Heard of a one time boot order, something like F12. Then reorder the boot order for the USB to boot first. This is what my brother did. I do remember that. Since you brought it up. I had a question around this for a while. Just never asked. Changing the boot order in BIOS to boot from USB. Then after Linux is installed. Does the new OS boot from hard drive? or do I need to change the boot order again in Linux? No Ventoy. I used Ventoy, because everybody said it was the way to go. I did every right watched many many videos. Seemed easy enough. When it came time to boot. No boot. Much problems. Then I had my nervous breakdown. Chanting something like "Open Ventoy, Open Ventoy." For over an hour. Not sure, since I wasn't really here. Then brother came out. After he started listing to me. He said there was no "boot" on Ventoy. That is all I can tell you. Don't know for myself. Since you said something about Hardware manufacturers. And since you are "across the pond as we would say" I have been looking into the Star Labs brand. I am so used to a tower. I had a all-in-one. Got tired of it. Went to a tower. Thinking about a slim tower. But recently because of my dislike about Microsoft I have been looking at the Star Labs products. Tablets and mini pc. I don't know to much about mini pc's. Anything you can tell me about star labs and mini pc's would be helpful.
Hello @countrywolf19, have you checked out Tuxedo computers? They have a wide range of high quality machines especially for Linux. Although they come with Tuxedo_OS (which looks very good indeed), you could install Zorin_OS, if you prefer. You might want to do a comparison with Star Labs before you buy anything.
I follow "The Linux Experiment" on YouTube and he's sponsored by them, but he also does some honest reviews of their machines, without sponsorship, and he can be quite critical. Here's a link to a laptop review (he might have reviwed a tower/desktop PC, I'm not sure): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k37nqHiCVo
I would absolutely check out comparisons, here's a snippet (I don't like copy & pasting AI generated answers because you could do that for yourself):
" For most Linux users, Tuxedo is the more practical choice due to broader hardware variety , including AMD options for better battery life and gaming configurations , whereas Starlabs offers premium in-house custom designs but currently lacks AMD processors and has faced shipping delays .2".
Main Website (Store & Hardware): https://www.tuxedocomputers.com
Went to website. Do you know if Tuxedo does US currency. And US power plugs. Saw that it was from Germany, My Heritage Nation. Like that.
They ship to the US so you might need to choose appropriate cables when odering.
Shipping to U.S. is €99 and because of Tarriffs imposed by Trump, you may have to pay Taxes to the US Treasury.
If you are wanting to look at Homegrown vendors in the US are ZaReason (scratch that, just found out they had to close due to Covid and other factors) system76 and Think Penguin,
frame.work
Another European company in Spain is [Slimbook].(https://slimbook.com/en/shopby_category).
Going back to Ventoy, you need to put Ventoy stick in machine before booting and then you need to boot into BIOS to make it be the first boot option. It will show more than one entry, for example:
UEFI USB device
USB device
or
UEFI USB device Partition 1
UEFI USB device Partition 2
USB device.
If Secure boot is disabled, you would choose USB device. Creating Ventoy stick does not autonatically include Zorin. What Ventoy does is it allows you to place multiple .iso's on your USB thumb drive provided it is big enough. You have to drag the .iso into the Ventoy device in file explorer. Then once you have your Live Linux distributions to hand you can choose which .iso you want to boot from.
Hi, yes they do. You select a US power cord during the configuration process. The 19% tax is deducted from the price too, but bear in mind you will have to pay whatever the import duty is into the US. If you're using a VPN, just make sure you're using a US location so the website will automatically show you the prices in $US and the information will be relevant to you.
There is a STANDARD shipping fee of $99, which has absolutely nothing to do with any tariffs or DJ Trump
I know that, what we don't know is if there are Tarriffs at point of entry to the US.
The site states shipping fees in Euros, €99.
99.00 Euro equals
113.26 US Dollar
I helped a forum member remotely some time ago and whilst on their machine I was curious to know what SoftMaker Office would cost in US$.
I was shocked to learn it was over $200! In the UK it costs £109.
Going back a few years I remember buying a Onesie for one of the children from Canada. Because it (Canada) was not in the EU, had to pay £30 in respect of V.A.T. (Value Added Tax) before it could be delivered.
We do know how these things work. No tariffs are applied on entry, although there could be a MPF. First and most importantly, the site knows where you are based, which is why I said to make sure any VPN is set to the USA, then ALL OF THE INFO APPLIES TO THE USA. There is no need for you to work out the exchange rate from Euros to US dollars, it is automatically done in the website. What has happened between the EU, Canada and the UK is not applicable to this transaction, if it happens at all.
While duty is free, US Customs can sometimes assess a small Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF) (which is typically 0.3464% of the value, with a minimum of ~$32) for formal entries, though many personal laptop shipments under $800 enter with no extra charges. If any fees are due, the courier (typically UPS or DHL) will collect them on delivery.
This all helps, when I get closer to getting a new computer. Thank You.
That part may have nothing to do with it, yes. However, any new tariffs do apply:
This is an important factor in pricing and the buyer needs to be aware.
Yeah, I kinda disregarded that statement of tariffs, and Trump. I don't want to get into polictics here. But I am a Trump Guy.
Understandably.
We are not going to discuss politics, support or detraction.
However... opinions on politics are not relevant to the topic at hand: Do current Tariffs affect the price you would pay on imported computer goods?
That is not only safe to discuss, but is encouraged. That is a need-to-know.
That tariffs are changed under the current administration are fact, not opinion, and acknowledgement of the facts is wisdom, not avoidance.
Agreed.