I’m curious as to what systems the users on here are running. I personally have an Asus TUF gaming laptop with an i7 8750H, 24GB RAM, and GTX 1060 6GB. I’ve honestly been thinking about selling this and buying a cheaper, smaller, lighter laptop for portability (once I buy a full on desktop rig that is) so I can Windows at home and Zorin on the go.
Hi Distrohopper and welcome to the forum!
My main rig is: ASUS X470-PRO, AMD Ryzen 7 1700X 8 Core, 16 Gb RAM, ZOTAC Geforce GT1030 (2 Gb). I use FerenOS to remind me of work when working from home due to its Win 10 look, and ZorinOS for personal use. I also have an old E6500 that could not be updated at work to Win10 as it was only licenced to run Vista. It has Intel Duo Processor and 2 Gb RAM running 15.2 Core. And due to Covid, I’m not doing much ‘on the go’. The monthly Linux User Group meetings that I used to physically attend are now on https://meet.jit.si
Hi! I’m using an Alienware m17 r2, with an i7-9750H, 16GB RAM, and a GeForce RTX 2060 6 GB. I like my laptop, but to be honest, I kind of wish that I’d gone with the 15 inch screen rather than the 17. It almost feels like I have a desktop sitting in my lap!
If your interests are of portability, nothing beats a tablet. Get one that has at least a 1.6GHZ octa core CPU with at least 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage space, that you can easily expand to 128GB via a Sandisk Extreme micro sd card.
Linus Teach Tips Youtube channel, has been demonstrating, how many notebooks have reduced in size over the years. While it indeed helps to drop the weight, unfortunately, they are worse then full sized notebooks fully loaded.
My main computer is outdated compared to your rig. I have an 2012 year Acer V3-771G notebook that comes with a 17" screen, 2.2GHZ quad core CPU, turbo ability to 3GHZ. Came with 8GB of RAM, which I upgraded to 16GB. Came with a non-upgradable Nvidia 640M GPU.
It came with a couple of 500GB 3400-RPM mechanical HD’s, that I eventually upgraded to a single Samsung 850 Pro 512GB SSD drive. Its a mid-grade gaming machine that can’t play modern AAA titles anymore due to GPU bottleneck. FYI: Its a 7-pound machine!
Because I don’t have the money to upgrade to a brand new gaming machine, which can also be useful for doing faster video editing, I decided to purchase a new tablet instead, for doing everyday tasks quicker, and more efficient. I will have to purchase a new main rig, sometimes in the future when I can afford it.
What I have, is a Dragon Touch Max 10" 1920 * 1200 IPS glass front panel, aluminum back panel tablet. Its got a 1.6GHZ Octa core CPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, which I’ve upgraded to 128GB via a Sandisk Extreme Micro SD card. And it runs stock android 9.0 Pie OS.
For a budget tablet, it runs really well, peppy performance, can do split screen operations, and can do almost everything a normal computer can do. Best part is, it doesn’t weigh 7-pounds, its only like 1.5 pounds, you can take it anywhere with you, so like I said, tablets are great for portability.
Acer makes some really awesome top of the line gaming notebooks in the Predator series. I was doing research on one, saw I could get a top rig for 2500 if I had the money to spend. I will be looking into one of those in the future when I have the funds.
To be honest, I wish they made notebooks to be more upgradable just as desktops are. But I think what they are worried about, is if they had a replaceable GPU option, and somebody stuck a higher performance GPU into their notebook, it would draw more power, and then would cause them to fry the power brick lol.
Thanks for introducing me to FerenOS my dude. Checking it out rn. What's the difference between this and Zorin? On the website it seems that they both have near identical purposes/aims.
I have an ASUS Zenbook UX433FN laptop and an Intel NUC10i7NFM with 32G RAM as my desktop. Am pleased with both so far.
Indeed phones and tablets are the kings of "just pick it up and go wherever". However I'm much more akin to keyboard controls than I am touchscreen. Never been into the latter especially when it comes to more serious work (thus why I can never survive with just a phone unlike my other family members).
You won't regret it. Predator's their top of the line models I believe. For 2500 though it better be an absolute beast of a system. My TUF laptop was only about 1500 when I got it and it flies with anything I throw at it (then again I'm only really running Adobe apps and video games as my heaviest apps, you might have some more demanding things in mind).
Without a doubt someone's gonna be stupid enough to try this lmao.
I hear ya buddy!
Just wanted to quickly let you know, you can use keyboards and mice with tablets. I have a Logitech MX Master 3 wireless mouse paired with my tablet, as well as a Arteck Universal Bluetooth keyboard, both pair and work well.
I also use a Cowin E7 Pro headset with the tablet, and a Green Throttle Atlas gaming controller. One might say, I know how to get it all, out of a tablet. HEHE
@Distrohopper: Hi, I jumped from the Classic (Cinnamon DE) of FerenOS to the new KDE Plasma desktop. It does not use that other OS Menu by default, you have to select ‘familiar layout’ - I suspect the dev was warned by MS in the past as he has ‘mothballed’ all the Windows themes he once had in his ‘store’ for Win95/8/2k/Vista/Win10 icons.
It comes with Timeshift which I wish Zorin would include by default. I set it up to take snapshots of the system which then get stored in ‘/home’ in case I need to recover - similar to System Restore in that other OS.
My current FerenOS desktop (dual monitors):
I’m on a Toshiba Tecra R840 from 2011 with an i5 2520M, 4GB DDR3, Intel HD Graphics 3000. I’m running Zorin OS and Windows 10 on a dual-boot, but plan to wipe Windows off completely in a month or two.
So many laptops!
Daily driver is a silent build on an MSI Z170 GAMING AC, i7 6700, 16GB DDR4, GTX780, 512GB NVMe + 4TB 7200 in an ITX case.
And a media PC with a Gigabyte 880GMA-USB3, Phenom II X6 1055T, 4GB DDR3, GT720, 120GB SSD in a HTPC case.
No mention of the older laptops,
I have re-furbed bunch of Dell D-531’s, AMD Turion dual core 2.1 & 2.2ghz, 4gb ddr-2, upgraded with SSD’s sized 60gb to 256gb…
A few H.P. Nx9420’s with Core2Duo’s 2.0, 2.16, 2.33ghz, 4gb ddr-2, 60 & 128gb SSD’s…
Currently a Dell Vostro 1700, Core2Duo 2.4ghz, 4gb ddr-2, and 256gb SSD.
These all run extremely well using Zorin, Debian, or Ubuntu OSes, right
“Out of the Box”…
I have on a few needed to pull a wifi driver from the onboard software resources, or on one occasion I did have to put in a different wifi card.
These used laptops are inexpensive to purchase, and upgrading them is fairly simple, plenty of inexpensive parts available.
Performance wise when running Linux, they sometimes put many expensive new Windows 10 equipped machines to shame.
I have an old Toughbook here that I got dirt cheap on eBay. It is small and was made around 2003.
My plan was to use it as a Diagnostic Computer for modern computerized cars, if it was still viable.
I did some distro hopping on it, but by far, the best performance achieved on it was with Zorin OS. It is loaded with Zorin OS 12.4 Lite. I then installed my Automotive Diagnostic software. Works perfectly and fast.
Thats so cool! You were able to use Zorin OS on a computer, meant for diagnostics software, I assume through the use of an OBDII probe. See, I love hearing witness accounts, showing success of using Zorin OS, not just on personal machines, but also in the business territory.
@bcnaz re No mention of older laptops, er hem! ...
I don’t contribute much if anything to the Zorin Forum, but I do read items most days. My everyday PC is a Dell Optplex 790 refurbished originally with WIN10 Pro, Intel i5, 250Gb HDD, 4GbRAM running Zorin Lite Ultimate. Canon MP230 combo printer. Planned to up RAM if necessary, but not needed.
I seem to have lost control of my post.
I also have an Acer Aspire 11.6" notebook for travelling, running Zorin Lite.
Also an older Dell Optiplex E4500. Currently has Makulu LinDoz 2020 (with Cinnamon) as a dual boot with Zorin Lite (used for backup). I try different distros at times - I wouldn’t use Makulu for my main
daily machine.
Since Zorin 6 Ultimate, I have not needed much assistance from Zorin Team, as I never complicate things if possible.
As an older user with limited resources, Zorin has been a complete replacement for Windows worries. No other distro seems to work first time, every time.
Yeah, but you got two hearts out of it.
3 now! (Don’t you just hate it when you can’t make it short and simple? The AI did not like me simply postinig '3 now! - up goes my carbon footprint too!
In the Matrix we are taught about the illusion of control. None of us have control of anything, we’d like to think we do, because it makes us feel better about our reality. The truth is, the universe and the balance is what has control. Mother nature’s recent hurricanes in the USA have been demonstrating their resolve. So ya, humans control nothing. The universe has the control, mother earth has the control, and right now, she’s pretty angry at us. lol