Zorin OS (Linux) - OMG!

[PB]

Foreword: This is going to sound like an ad, but I don't care.

As some of you know, I've always detested Linux because every version
I tried had shortcomings of some sort. Some didn't play videos or MP3s,
some looked like garbage, some too slow, some too techy/confusing.

Today I found "Zorin OS" and OMG!

This is the BEST version of Linux I've found! Forget Ubuntu! Zorin looks
and feels just like Windows 7, it's fast (even the Live DVD!), and it plays
all my videos and MP3s without needing to install additional codecs!
(Tested with MP3, AVI, MPG, MOV and MP4 files only - all flawless!).

It even has LibreOffice so that my wife can continue editing our family
budget on her Excel spreadsheet with NO compatibility problems. She's
impressed, and believe me, it's hard to impress her!

One nice thing I discovered is that when I plug my iPhone in, Zorin lets
me browse and edit the phone's file system just like normal folders! On
a non-jailbroken phone! Even Windows doesn't let me do that!

I swear Zorin OS is about to become my main OS instead of Windows!
I'm actually typing this post using the Live DVD version of Zorin, which
uses Chrome by default. (Just need to get AdBlock for Chrome next).

All I have to test now is a virtual machine of Windows 7 on it, so I can
keep coding my Windows apps. And/or I can dual-boot, which is more
likely. I note that Zorin comes with Wine, though - so I should be able
to run a lot of Windows apps direct from within Zorin anyway.

If you've EVER wanted to try Linux and NOT be disappointed, get Zorin!
It's the first Linux distro I've used that lets me immediately get working
just like I do on Windows, with no tweaking needed or missing codecs.
As I said, I'm running the Live DVD on my old laptop and it's way faster
than Windows 7 that's currently installed on it! You know an OS is good
if running it from DVD is faster than another OS on a hard drive!

Website (with image gallery): http://zorin-os.com

[Paul]

ZorinOS is my favorite as well. All my devices were detected and just worked, which I can't say has been my experience with other distros.
PureBasic Linux also installs easily on ZorinOS and runs great.

[Kuron]

I am no fan of Ubuntu. Love Mint. Zorin OS is very good (personally don't like the themes). Usually any Ubuntu derivative NOT put out by Ubuntu themselves is good. Personally, I usually put newbies on elementary OS.

[PB]

> All my devices were detected and just worked

Same! First time I've tried a Linux that did that. Even Ubuntu didn't
just run "out of the box" like this, and Ubuntu failed to play all of my
videos. There's no point switching from one OS to another if the new
one doesn't immediately do what the old one did... and I'm happy to
say that Zorin OS doesn't suffer this problem at all.

There's a 99% chance that I'll be saying goodbye to Windows soon.
Just need to check out VirtualBox with Zorin first, to see how it goes.

[Shield]

Today I found "Zorin OS" and OMG!

Didn't hear of this before...I might give it a try later.
Currently I'm mainly using Ubuntu with Gnome3 for coding (Android Apps),
because the toolchain is just better than on Windows (mostly due to outdated software,
for example "make" is causing problems all the time).

Forget Ubuntu!

Zorin IS Ubuntu.

All I have to test now is a virtual machine of Windows 7 on it, so I can
keep coding my Windows apps.

Trust me, you do not want to do this. I had to do it the other way around a couple of months ago,
meaning I had to code on Linux in a VM on Windows (again, because Flex / Bison are outdated on Windows
and the project specifications required me to use them). It was a terrible experience, that's why I decided
to go Dual Boot.

[PB]

> Zorin IS Ubuntu

Based on Ubuntu.

The experience of Ubuntu vs Zorin is totally different.

> Trust me, you do not want to do this [VM]

I'll give it a shot to see for myself, but I know it's better to
just dual-boot anyway. So, I'll do both and use the VM for
quicker moments when I don't want to reboot.

[Fangbeast]

Trust me, you do not want to do this. I had to do it the other way around a couple of months ago,

Don't know why you say that but my experience was different. I was running PCLINUXOS 64 bit with VirtualBox and a windows 7 and windows xp client and they worked great. Never any problems.

[Shield]

The experience of Ubuntu vs Zorin is totally different.

Well yeah, "stock" Ubuntu. The main difference however is just the stuff that comes with it,
everything can be changed / customized quite easily. Zorin might just be the all-round package
you were looking for.

So, I'll do both and use the VM for quicker moments when I don't want to reboot.

That's how I do it.

[PB]

> Zorin might just be the all-round package you were looking for

Definitely! Ubuntu didn't do anything for me out of the box,
and I had no interest in diving into repositories and such just
to view a video or listen to a song. With Zorin, it all worked
without any effort on my part. That makes it perfect.

[davido]

Today I found "Zorin OS" and OMG!

Must try it!

[applePi]

i am downloading the 32bit version now (1.6 GB) it will finish in 6 hours and will install it on an old pc which have win7 on partition 1, and another 15GB free partition
how to install purebasic . i have tried to install it on ubuntu applying the instruction literary but it does not install and i have uninstalled the ubuntu which was installed from within win7
they said in the web site:
Zorin OS is a multi-functional operating system designed specifically for Windows users who want to have easy and smooth access to Linux
this is what is needed for the 90% of the normal people , a complete GUI
i wish purebasic will provide a complete automatic install way in the Linux system for the people who don't want to study the electronics of their TV to be able to watch the TV.

[heartbone]

Foreword: This is going to sound like an ad, but I don't care.

As some of you know, I've always detested Linux because every version
I tried had shortcomings of some sort. Some didn't play videos or MP3s,
some looked like garbage, some too slow, some too techy/confusing.

Today I found "Zorin OS" and OMG!

This is the BEST version of Linux I've found! Forget Ubuntu! Zorin looks
and feels just like Windows 7, it's fast (even the Live DVD!), and it plays
all my videos and MP3s without needing to install additional codecs!
(Tested with MP3, AVI, MPG, MOV and MP4 files only - all flawless!).

It even has LibreOffice so that my wife can continue editing our family
budget on her Excel spreadsheet with NO compatibility problems. She's
impressed, and believe me, it's hard to impress her!

One nice thing I discovered is that when I plug my iPhone in, Zorin lets
me browse and edit the phone's file system just like normal folders! On
a non-jailbroken phone! Even Windows doesn't let me do that!

I swear Zorin OS is about to become my main OS instead of Windows!
I'm actually typing this post using the Live DVD version of Zorin, which
uses Chrome by default. (Just need to get AdBlock for Chrome next).
{snip}

By the third paragraph I was thinking, this is another wrapper for UBUNTU,
and later in the thread I read, yes it certainly is.
Nothing could come out of nowhere nowadays and have such perfect functionality.

PB, thanks for the news about the Zorin OS!

I certainly was going to download this and give it a try until I saw the 1.5 GB download size.
That's a 5-6 hour download for me, about the size of two UBUNTU downloads.
That and Google's Chrome being the default browser is enough for me to defer.
Bundling UBUNTU's ~800 MB base install along with a boatload of the most common codecs and
drivers with an imitation Windows 7 GUI delivered in a 1.5 GB package is a very good idea.
I'm thinking Zorin is UBUNTU for dummies.
The timing could not be better.

P.S. PB, since you mentioned speed, yes Zorin may be blazing fast, but you do know that UBUNTU would be a wee bit faster running the same hardware don't you?

UBUNTU user

[PB]

> the 1.5 GB download size [is] a 5-6 hour download for me

Slow connection? I have standard ADSL2 and it was less than an hour.
Anyway, long download times are no excuse: set it off overnight and
it's ready in the morning.

> Chrome being the default browser is enough for me to defer

LOL, you can change it to Firefox or something else if you want.
That's like saying you'll defer Windows because IE is installed by
default.

> Ubuntu would be a wee bit faster running the same hardware

But it's not; that's the problem. I tried Ubuntu before, and it was
slower than Zorin OS and Ubuntu also didn't play any of my media.
That's why I'm so happy to find Zorin OS. Anyway, I'm happy.

[IdeasVacuum]

Looks good, but only a Client version, which is a pity.

[Paul]

PB, thanks for the news about the Zorin OS!

I certainly was going to download this and give it a try until I saw the 1.5 GB download size.
That's a 5-6 hour download for me, about the size of two UBUNTU downloads.

Um... ZorinOZ Lite - 665Mb, for older/slower hardware and fits on CD