Hi I'm new here. I need to buy a 2H laptop. I've done a lot of research on distros and Zorin is my pic. My use is basic office tasks, content consumption and research. I have used both Windows and Mac. Does Zorin work well on Intel Macs or better on Windows. I've researched on Reddit and YT. I know there is comprehensive help info on this site for installation, system requirements etc but I would appreciate any pointers or experience with Mac or Windows. I know there are some great Zorin ready laptops to buy but they are bit too much for my budget. TYIA.
When you have an old laptop the best is to install Zorin there for first experiences with Linux. It's often a bit more difficult to install Zorin on Mac than on Window computers. Many computers are not specially made for Linux and because of this sometimes some devices don't work because of missing drivers.
The best is to create a Zorin boot stick and test it on the laptop in "Try Zorin" mode to see which devices are detected and work.
New up-to-date hardware often doesn't work well on Linux because the drivers are not yet included.
If you don't need the newest hardware and only want to install Zorin on the computer, you could also buy a used business notebook.
You can also take a look here which notebooks are ubuntu certified:
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Get a laptop with Radeon/AMD card if you have that option. Less headache as Nvidia driver to their laptop card can be tedious.
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Welcome to the Forum!
I would agree with @Storm here and suggest to take something with AMD because the Drivers are already included in the Kernel. And if You don't have the newest Hardware, it should work out of the Box.
I never used Mac's, so this is not a neutral Opinion but I would look for a Windows PC because You can go in the BIOS and set it up properly with Secure Boot and Fast Boot.
Your Use Case:
doesn't sound like You would need High End Hardware. So, 16Gig's of RAM and a 6-Core CPU should be enough. Maybe an AMD APU with integrated Graphics could be fine I think.
And how is Your Budget?
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I have 3 different models of 3-5 years old Fujitsu Notebooks running Kubuntu and Zorin without any probs.
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Re budget, I would consider up to 1k (AUD) for a laptop but for fairly basic use needs that may be overkill. I'm fine with 2H.
Thanks heaps for your replies (everyone), this is such helpful advice 