Hi,
My macbook is about to die and I'm considering moving to Zorin pro, buying a 2nd hand laptop and downloading it,etc. I'm a totally newbie to all this.
It looks like the best bet is to get a Thinkpad machine. I need to use ethernet cable so having that in the machine is handy and not relying on another adapter, etc.
Which Thinkpads work best with Zorin Pro whilst not being too old style clunky and unslick - lets face it they're a bit ugly!
Was considering a T14 Gen 2 because I saw one but what about things like the X1 Carbon or later Gen of the T14 ? or other.
I heard the Zorin pro is best as it allows you to choose layout close to things we are used to and to screen record, etc (which i need to be able to do).
Appreciate any thoughts on this. My husband did his own install of Zorin with code, etc and omg I dont want to go through that!
You have with Pro some desktop Layouts more, that is true. But Screen Recording isn't there a specific Pro Feature.
When these are not too new Machines, it should run. Of Course the specific Hardware Configuration is a Point. And You want Ethernet. On new Devices it seem to be rare these Days. So, You should check if there is really a Port.
Also, I would suggest to find something with AMD Graphics; this can be a bit less stressful than Nvidia because of the Drivers. Not that Nvidia wouldn't run.
@aspen101. I use Zorin on a bunch of different devices. My Asus laptop doesn't have an ethernet port so I bought an adapter, which cost less than 10 Euros, and it works just fine, so you really do not need to worry about that. Personally, I'd stick to something with 8 GB of RAM and with AMD video card as opposed to Nvidia.
I have 3 different HP laptops (with 4 GB RAM), a new Dell and the old Asus. All run fine. This Pavillion is on Core 17.3 but the other one I use a lot is on Core 18, with no issues at all - that was a clean installation.
As for buying PRO, that does give you extra options for layouts, but you'll probably find one you like in the free Core version. You can use screen recording that is built in with Gnome (free with Core), or something like Kazam. Check out apps in the Software store for more options. There is a helpful guide here:
Check out everything that gets bundled with PRO too before you jump. Some people consider a lot of it unnecessary "bloat", and just remember that ALL of those apps are available for free. What you should get by buying the PRO version is direct email support from the Zorin brothers.
Good luck and welcome to Zorin! Good to have you here.
btw were you suggesting that something with 8GB would be better than something with 16GB or just that theres no need to pay extra for 16GB if a cheaper 8GB option is there.
Please excuse the late reply. I was saying that it would be possible with 8 GB but not "better", however, with the crisis in buying even second hand items with transferable memory, you might find somethng with 16 GB much more expensive than you thought.
I was going to recommend a Star Labs computer, as you can get them with Zorin OS already installed for you, if you choose the option. Unfortunately, they seem to be dealing with supply issues, which have caused them to be out of stock, on many of their computer's.
Also, its 2026, I wouldn't recommend anyone buying a computer with less then 16-GB of RAM, even for general computer usage, especially when Gnome is concerned.
If a computer is needed for gaming and production workloads, I wouldn't recommend anything less then 32-GB of RAM. In such use cases, you'd be amazed how much RAM this consumes.
Also, if you are a heavy internet user, who regularly keeps 24 - 32 tabs open at one time, you will also appreciate the 32-GB of RAM. If your a Chrome user, Chrome uses RAM like an all you can eat buffet.
If your a heavy VM user, you'd be looking at 64-GB minimum, up to 128-GB of RAM.
No matter what you choose in the end, its got to be 16-GB of RAM minimum, same way with GPU's for gaming. The days of 8GB of RAM being relevant are over, unless you are running on a very lite trimmed down OS, and all you do is watch video's at 1080P.
thanks for this .. for sure i end up with a trillion tabs open becuase somehow my brain forgets things exist otherwise .. probably as a response to having too many tabs open all the time .. chicken and egg!
I stay away from any of the Thinkpads ending in an "s" in the model name.
ex. T14s
The s indicates the memory is soldered. I prefer to have the option to upgrade my RAM if I want to (and can afford it due to the Ai apocolypse).
From my own experience, the T495 has been excellent. Also, the T560 and the x260.
Can I make another suggestion? HP Elitebooks and Zbooks have worked extremely well for me. They are commercial models and not the plastic junk in the stores. Elitebook 840 and 850 models, G5 and up have been excellent. Models ending in 5 are AMD based which eliminates having to disable the Intel ME spying junk in the BIOS. A used Elitebook 845 G7 or G8 has worked well and very easy to upgrade and carry. Zbooks are workstations which sometimes have a discreet nvidia GPU and are heavier.
What I would do, is send over an email to Star Labs using their content form. Ask them when they can expect to have their StarBook models restocked. Let them know you'd be interested in buying one. I am a big fan of SL business model, and with that, I like them, and I trust what they do.
@braveheart I just want to say, excellent information regarding the Thinkpad notebook series. You clearly have quite a bit of knowledge in that area, that helps others. Because when knowledge is shared, everyone benefits.
Hi, just checking i understand ok ....
so eg and HP 840 will have an intel ME in it and that wants disabling but an HP 845 would have AMD in it and that makes it already more private.
So things that are eg AMD Ryzen are that more private thing because they dont have the Intel ME ...
AND then there is AMD which is to do with graphics cards, etc v' Nvdia ...
so the AMD in the Ryzen thing is a whole seperate thing from graphics cards.
does a "dummys guide to computer lingo" exist
So ideal is something AMD not Intel and graphics AMD not Nvdia.
- lets face it they're a bit ugly!
