Zorin OS

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Overall Positioning & Target Audience

  • Seen as one of the easiest Linux distros to recommend to non‑technical users, especially Windows migrants and elderly users confused by Windows 10/11 changes.
  • Ubuntu-based but marketed as “not Ubuntu,” avoiding Canonical’s more corporate decisions while retaining .deb ecosystem compatibility.
  • Multiple anecdotes of successful deployments for relatives, elderly users, and low‑spec lab machines where Ubuntu struggled.

UX, Familiarity & Comparisons

  • Heavily praised for polish and coherence: integrated settings, simple layout switching (Windows‑ or macOS‑like), strong defaults.
  • Some argue it sits in an “uncanny valley” of Windows‑likeness and that Linux should be more innovative; others say familiarity is exactly what non‑tech people need.
  • Compared to Mint, Pop!_OS, Elementary: Zorin seen as more “modern” and newbie‑oriented; less attractive to developers who prefer Fedora/Pop/etc.
  • Debate over whether multiple Ubuntu-derived distros (Mint, Zorin, Pop) should consolidate; business models and design goals seen as incompatible.

Software, Packages & Upgrades

  • .deb compatibility framed as a benefit but commenters note it’s not universal and can cause upgrade breakage if misused.
  • In‑place upgrades were previously a problem but now supported; other “user-friendly” distros still require reinstalls between major versions.
  • Some like preinstalled app bundles; others prefer a minimal base and dislike bloat.

Gaming & Windows App Support

  • Windows‑like .exe handler prompting to install Wine is considered a strong onboarding feature.
  • Gaming claims rely on Steam/Proton/Wine/Lutris like other distros; most popular Steam titles are reported to work, but anti‑cheat and launchers still create rough edges.
  • Zorin’s out‑of‑the‑box integration is seen as valuable for non‑experts.

Marketing, “$5,000 Software” & Pro Edition Ethics

  • Slogans like “alternatives to over $5,000 of professional software” and ISS/NYSE references draw mixed reactions: helpful reassurance for laypeople vs spammy, “military‑grade encryption”‑style hype.
  • Disagreement on whether suggesting apps like GIMP as alternatives to expensive tools is honest or oversold.
  • Some criticize implying Pro is required to get the showcased FOSS apps; others emphasize you’re paying for curation, preinstallation, and support, which is seen as ethically fine under GPL.

Open Source & Transparency

  • A few worry about lack of prominent FOSS messaging and license compliance; others point to a source‑code link and note that only some Pro extras (e.g., themes) are closed.