I think Zorin OS has a much better UI, that alone can help new users out. First impressions matter!

Zorin is still the only distro that looks like they used professional graphic designers, like a commercial OS. So it's not a letdown when coming from Windows, Mac or Chrome OS. I wish the major PC makers would get together and develop OEM Linux and put some money into it to make it look nice.

The integrated file search alone would lead me to Zorin.

Appreciate the video, looking at both of these, used Zorin the past, a few years ago, nice to see an update and a recommendation

Coming from Windows or Mac, most Linux distros look old and frumpy. Zorin got me to switch by being the first distro that looked like a commercial OS.

For people who have never even heard of Linux, I recommend: For diehard Win 7 users, try Zorin. For those sick of Win 10, try Mint. I have just the opposite opinion of these two desktops - which is the first impression a new user gets. Zorin looks simpler, plainer, more basic. Mint looks more advanced. True newbies will be comfortable with either, based on their long-learned Windows exposure, but first impressions count. I'd bet that the vast bulk of computer users do very little more than access the internet with maybe some basic "office" work on the side. For them, it matters very little what OS is running when all they do is boot up and open a browser.

Zorin is nice, I've ran it in VMs for quite a while, thanks for the review.

Excellent review as always. It's bit like the old Holden vs Ford debate although they are now both defunct. The thing that impresses me is that there are options and Not just 'one size fits all' especially good for new new users. So I'll be trying Zorin alongside Pop and the Mint/s on my systems and then gravitate to the most suitable one. Always look forward to your vids so can't wait for the next one. Have a warm/hot silly season. 🎄🏄‍♂ 👍

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🚀 *Introduction to Zorin OS 17 and Linux Mint 21.3* - Introduction to choosing a Linux distribution for new users. - Mention of Zorin OS and Linux Mint as popular choices for beginners. - Overview of the video's goal to provide thoughts on Zorin OS 17 and compare it with Linux Mint. 01:38 🖥️ *Installation Process and Development Lifecycle* - Both Zorin OS 17 and Linux Mint 21.3 use the same ubiquity installer. - Mention of their common base on Ubuntu 20.04 with distinctions in development timelines. - Discussion on Zorin OS 17 having service pack updates for kernel and driver compatibility. 03:09 🌐 *First Impressions: Desktop Environment* - Zorin OS 17 noted for a polished, modern, and spaced-out interface. - Linux Mint 21.3 desktop described as standard with more granular details. - Comparison of UI elements, menu, system tray, and overall aesthetics. 07:04 ⚙️ *Performance Insights* - Remarkable performance of Zorin OS 17 with RAM usage under 1 GB at cold boot. - Linux Mint 21.3 also praised for responsiveness with a focus on Spartan functionality. - Mention of Zorin's optimizations for a smoother and fluid user experience. 10:18 🎮 *Gaming Performance Comparison* - Brief comparison of gaming performance, acknowledging Zorin OS having a slight advantage. - Recognition that neither distribution is explicitly built for gaming. - Emphasis on Zorin OS delivering a slightly better gaming experience in superficial testing. 11:42 🛍️ *App Selection and Installation* - Zorin OS praised for a polished GNOME Software Center with support for Flatpak, Snap, and Deb packages. - Mention of Zorin's seamless integration of Windows app support. - Acknowledgment of Linux Mint's functional but somewhat aged software manager with more customization. 14:39 📱 *Integration with Hardware and Smartphones* - Both Zorin OS and Linux Mint discussed for using similar backend tools for hardware integration. - Recognition of Zorin Connect for smartphone synchronization out of the box. - Acknowledgment that Linux Mint can achieve similar functionality but requires separate installations. 16:03 🛠️ *Quality of Life Improvements and Longevity* - Discussion on Zorin OS having quality of life updates and service pack updates. - Concerns raised about Zorin OS being based on an older Ubuntu release and potential hardware compatibility issues. - Acknowledgment of Linux Mint following closely behind Ubuntu for hardware compatibility. 17:56 ✨ *Conclusion and Recommendation* - Zorin OS recommended for new users due to its curated and polished experience. - Personal preference for Linux Mint highlighted for users seeking more configuration and customization. - Overall acknowledgment that both Zorin OS 17 and Linux Mint 21.3 offer positive experiences for Linux users. Made with HARPA AI

Very nice content, thank you. I will try to get Zorin running on my old iMac from 2009

Good job on the comparison 👋

I don't normally watch Linux comparison vids...BUT i broke my own rule and watched yours. hope your having a wonderful holidays. keep up the good content. i may try zorin for a few months..see how i like it. looks interesting. i run LMDE 6 and i love it...using it since 2 on one device or another.

I personally use Fedora Workstation KDE spin and I switched from Mint (which I still use on other computers) and If I were to recommend an OS, I would recommend Mint. It has pretty much everything you need preinstalled, the codecs, the LibreOffice suite, great multimedia players, backups and huge Debian repository - wide software selection and I personally still prefer APT (or miss?) over DNF. However I must admit that after watching this video and seeing Zorin in action, it is really another awesome OS. I absolutely agree with what was said in the video - Cinnamon in Mint allows more customization, while Zorin is more polished and minimalistic - yet it does not lose much in personalization and customization. I personally prefer some more customization options here and there, that is why actually use KDE on Fedora now. And if something goes the wrong way with Fedora or Red Hat, I am returning to Mint or LMDE for sure. Anyways, thank you for your time and great review!

Thanks for the overview! I didn't know that it can run with just 1GB of RAM, that's impressive. Hardware compatibility per the older LTS is somewhat of a concern, but I don't have anything that new, and the overall package looks great. So long as "it works on my machine" 😅, I'll be happy.

I'm relatively new to Linux and have tried both Zorin OS Pro and Linux Mint. I gravitate toward Zorin OS because of the "fit and finish" benefits you describe. Mint just feels more primitive to me when I compare it to Zorin OS, although I understand that's not really the case under the hood. I would like to add that my favorite distribution, however, is Fedora, but I consider Zorin OS a close second.

I am just very happy Linux has come such a long way. Both distros look great, and there are fewer reasons to use Windows.

I love mint, it is super intuitive and user friendly, but I am tired of the windows xp vibes and title bars in general. it needs to get on with the times and start looking good. I am currently trying Zorin OS and am happy so far, nice looking, responsive ...

Hi, I loved the clear explanations. But, I want to ask which is better for an i5 5th gen 4gb RAM laptop? Thanks.

Great review

Outstanding review. I'm a new Linux user and I went with Zorin. Great user experience. Everything works exactly as i hoped it would.

Excellent review

I'm on LMDE 6 and cold boot runs at a little over 900mb. Not super light but better than Ubuntu which was using 1.6GB cold. Zorin have done a good job with this release and I think people coming from a Mac would be better suited to Zorin. Whereas Windows users might find Mint more familiar.

I have been using linux mint for daily driver for years, yesterday I tried Zorin OS 17, I think Zorin Os 17 is the best linux distro for 2023

Great video, thank you. I am installing Zorin

I consistently recommend Mint to new people; and I have been meaning to try ZorinOS, currently running Windows on my main PC (for compatibility with editing software that are harder on Linux) and Mint on my slightly older PC. Can't wait to try ZorinOS :)

i have distro hopped since 2014? linux mint is the only distro that feels like like an alternative to windows and mac to me. sure other linux distros look better have more flashy features, but linux mint is well rounded like mac and windows.

I'm running two Intel NUCs from 2013, one on Zorin 16.3, and the other on 17. Zorin is very usable and they make very good TV media boxes for youtube/jellyfin content.

I am really happy with LMDE, which is basically the same interface, but built on Debian rather than Ubuntu.

Candy coating is nice but rounded edges disappear once you are deep in and barely see your desktop or explorer anymore. I normally turn all that stuff off just to keep things moving as fast as possible.

Not only for beginners. I'm coming from some years of Fedora to Zorin OS to try and i love the UI.

I am a Fedora Workstation user and I would recommend Zorin. It is a great intro to Gnome in general so if people like the concepts of Zorin but don't like the outdate stuff, they can just use another Gnome based distro and replicate what they like.

What about performance and power consumption? Is there any difference?

I tend to encourage pop os for new individuals for the first impressions. It was the first os that I felt confident I could walk my parents through installing over the phone.

Which OS has the most recent version of the Linux kernel ? I'm using new hardware: AMD Ryzen 9th gen Ryzen 9-6600 and discreet AMD 6650 video. Also would it benefit me to manually partition my installation of Zorin?

I would usually recommend Kubuntu over these two for new users, you get all the best parts of Ubuntu I think. As much as people recommend Mint I've often had cryptic problems installing it, or getting gfx drivers working properly and they aren't supporting Wayland yet as far as I know. Zorin is pretty slick though and may be a good option for those who are impressed by pretty desktops, but I feel Plasma over Gnome is a better option for traditional Windows users (Those who started out in the Win 95 - 7 era).

Hi, Is Zorin OS 17 lighter on resources than Mint? Thank you for your time.

Guess ii have to go try zorin on my old netbook.

Thank You from other side of earth.

I don't know about LM but with Zorin I don't think there is anyway you can go wrong. I started with Elementary OS ans switched to Zorin 15 a long time ago. I actually bought the Pro (Ultimate) version because I was new and I wanted to see what programs were included. Pro version also offers support if needed. If you are just doing simple things like web browsing, video watching, PDF reading, e-mail, using Libre Office, then this Zorin is perfectly fine. It is super simple to install side by side with Windows or some other OS without overwriting everything on your disk, and when it starts it is in Windows 7 layout mode making everything as simple as it can be.

Which of both to not throw away a notebook with touch screen instead of using Chrome Os Flex?

I'm still trying to get the cube to work no idea how after toggling the feature on?

I don't recommend distros anymore, what I recommend are desktops. Currently I suggest people try something with Cinnamon on it as it's an easy transition from Windows. These days that usually means Linux Mint. Zorin OS certainly looks slick, though.

what about LMDE? that is moving away from Ubuntu altogether and going back to Debian

Recently bricked zorin, switched to mint for the snap shot feature. Probably my fault, but it’s a nice feature to have.

Used Mint for years, great simple to use distro. Just moved to Zorin and love it much the same and will be keeping it due to the native GPU drivers.

another great video

Would be interesting to see a Zorin vs PopOS comparison.

Last time I heard that zorin OS does anonymous pings to their server, I am not too sure if this is still the case?

I've been using Cinnamon Mint for two and a half years now after becoming terminally frustrated with Windows 7 and 10. If I get a spare computer to play with, I might try other distros--or if I get time to work with a virtual machine--but for getting work done, I'm sticking with Mint.

I would put MX Linux into the mix. And just for fun. Get 5-10 non-Linux users and let them test Mint, Zorin and MX. Then they should give the rating and opinion after: setting up the personal desktop environment, use some multimedia apps, check some of the personal daily important apps, do some file management (search, organize, transfer, ...)

I'm on zorin 17 pro since end of December and I have to say that it is the best distro I have tried since I begin to use linux in 1998. It fast, stable and even if I'm more of a KDE user the gnome interface can be tuned with the same look or better than what I liked on KDE. I will keep Zorin on my laptop and it will stay there for a long time. Everything works and it's very stable, fast and good looking. No this distro is not only for linux beginner. Cudo to Zorin team for that nice distro. :=)

Try to compare Big Linux. My grade 5 & 6 find Big Linux is very easy compared to Linux Mint & KDE neon. I haven’t ask yet their answer in Zorin is yet. I hope you can make a comparison between this and Big Linux in the future aside from my comparison as your fellow KZfaqr.

Ive given Zorin to all my home users. Never had an issue. Ive given Mint to all my business customers. Never had an issue.

Zorin 16 xfce cold boot takes ~550m RAM. Zorin default software installed and configured are sufficient and no extra Zorin configuration tools are better managed and straightforward to use Zorin +1

I didn't know that Zorin OS used Gnome Extensions to get their start menu and other Windows like features. I thought it was a customised version of Gnome the same as the old versions of Linux Mint Gnome used to be. Mint is better as when I used Zorin some years ago it did have some bugs. And if you want to use Gnome you can do that by installing the Ubuntu desktop on Linux Mint as I have done, Then installing Dash to Panel and Arc Menu in Gnome Extensions. Which gives you the Mint or Windows style taskbar and start menu.There is also a Zorin menu extension for Gnome but it does not work on the current versions of Ubuntu or Mint. So the Arc Menu is better and it works best with Dash To Panel Extension. Which moves the taskbar to either the top or bottom of the screen. Depending on your choice.

I really like Zorin but the software manager is slow as hell, often hangs at 99% install and often just won't search at all. Not sure what I could be doing wrong. I have several older laptops (varying ages and brands) and they all have this problem, so I don't think it's a hardware-specific issue. I also dislike having to install and configure Samba on Zorin, in order to access my router's NAS drive. Mint has Samba installed but I still have to enable the older protocol for it to work.

i use Zorin i tried using mint but for some reason wine just did not work at all, i dont know what i did wrong just installed it and the program didnt work, so i switched to zorin 17 and it worked perfectly right out the box

As new user myself,i would go with zorinOS 100%

Hey thx for the great Review, I also tryed mint ant Zoron. For Me is Zorin the best Distro, because it‘s most polished and modern looking 😊 Where did you get the wallpaper from your Mint OS ? It looks very clean and calm 😊 can you share it?

I love the simplicity and availability availability of Linux mint

I've been using Ubuntu since 2014 ... I like zorin 17 because really, its the Ubuntu that Canonical should have done. I'm using it as a daily driver and does all that Ubuntu 23.10 does. At 6gb, I thought Ubuntu must be joking so I shall keep using Zorin 17.

Hey man, how are you? Did you finish your college degree wasn't it in Computer Science?

great video. zorin is most modern

I recently istalled Linux Mint on to my laptop, I was pleased with it and did my preferences and up dated stuff. So I decided to build a PC from parts I had and I added a 1tb SSD and installed Linux Mint on that too, but then I had a problem, no internet, I had a wifi dongle insterted but no joy, then searching online lots more had the same issue. I go on KZfaq only to find lots of videos of how to resolve it but none worked, I found an old wifi dongle and for some reason that worked so I got Internet and was able to upgrade etc. Then again for some reason my PC didn't recognise the SSD, I edited the bios only to make things worse, after spending nearly all day I gave up, so now I'm looking for a different distro rather than Mint, shame really coz I did like it.

I think the elefant in the room is that no linux distro has a mouse scroll wheel speed selector out of the box. Most distros also don't let you configure different mice individually (remapping buttons can be one with a workaround tho), which is necessary in case you're ambidextrous using 2 mice. I guess in the end linux will always remain a forced gateway to coding, tweaking and so...

I am thinking of switching to Linux again; however, I only had experience with Ubuntu until around 2018, then my old Laptop died. Therefore, I wonder which would you recommend to me. Zorin or mint? I don't have any knowledge of programming or how to use the terminal… I need something that is effortless to use. My hardware is an HP Pavilion Laptop from 2018, you can still switch out the battery easily!! OMG it's about to be 6 Years! Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700HQ CPU @ 2.80GHz 2.81 GHz RAM: 8,00 GB I know it's old. I just don't want it to get slow in operating Linux. My old Laptop came with a Linux operating system when I bought it.

Would switching to the Liquorix kernel eliminate issues with new hardware compatibility in Zorin? Or really, just installing a newer stock kernel?

@15:30 - What does the smartphone connectivity actually entail? Is it more than just file transfers (which is all Mint's Warpinator does)?

I love your reviews. But, please review how GTK *and* QT look and feel out of the box when reviewing a distro. Because nobody that seriously uses a Linux distro is using only GTK or only QT apps.

I've been a huge Linux Mint fan for years but I have to say I'm loving Zorin OS. I'd have to give it the edge at this point. I think it offers a better out of the box experience and the app installation is a bit better experience. Huge win for Zorin on the UI side. The only thing Mint could do to beat Zorin at this point is offer a KDE version again. 99% of people do NOT need support for the latest hardware and do NOT need the latest version of Gnome. I honestly do not know a single person ever who has installed Zorin OS or Mint on a thread ripper running a 4090. Most people will be installing either of the distros on 5+ year old hardware. At this point you cannot go wrong with either distro.

i started using linux ( mint ) in my relatively new ryzen 5 powered laptop in the start of this year ...and tried Ubuntu, pop os Debian etc. and came back to mint ..but lack of Wayland support and some other bugs forced to switch and finally settled down in Debian 12 and I'm very happy and i have very few problems.i mostly use Flatpak and i side load some .deb and app images also..till now i didn't have major hiccups and i learned how to tackle basic problems..if u ask me mint is great for beginners but if u want to do something more than basic computing activities it gives me some headaches and some time lot of software packages are not compatible or gives problems. And before 2 months I deleted my Windows 11 and i stopped dual booting and I'm daily driving Debian 12 now. And also I'm doing some programming/designing and switching to Linux gave me a lot of happiness. I'm switching back to mint since they announced Wayland support in the future..I will try when roll it on updates

TL;DR: Zorin OS is the way to go for a non linux user hands down. I started with Linux mint on some old hardware. The bios was 32 bit but the hardware was 64 bit. I could install Linux mint but could not boot. Turns out LM is only compatible with 64bit UEFIs. So now I need to modify GRUB using the boot CD. Well not if LM doesn't recognize your wifi card. Just update the wifi drivers manually? Drivers will not persist on a boot CD. I spent way to long trying to build my my own distro or modify GRUB. I did finally get it all working by buying a USB wifi that had compatibility with Linux Mint which allowed me to make changes to GRUB. After getting it all working which took weeks, I ran across a KZfaq video on Zorin vs Linux Mint. I decided to try Zorin on another machine (exact same hardware) and it booted up on the first try and WiFi worked out of the box. Not to mention the UI looked polished when Linux Mint felt dated/under construction. Linux Mint is great, for Linux users. Zorin OS is great for non-Linux users.

how about LMDE ?

When comparing these two Distros and considering newer hardware compatibility, your best choice might be Mint Cinnamon EDGE. I just bought a new Mini PC with newer hardware such as Intel N100 and the WiFi would only work when I updated to the newest kernel. I wonder how Zorin would do in this scenario?

Zorin 16.0 is based on Ubuntu 20.04. However, Zorin 16.2 is based on Ubuntu 22.04. I think Zorin 17 will get the same treatment.

As long as Zorin lets me install games from GOG offline... Then so be it.

I feel like mint is more like the windows 7 we know and love where zorin is more like windows 10 with a more updated UI look and feel. Obviously they both are independent of windows but that's just what comes to mind if you're trying to do a comparison or transition.

How is the support if you run into a problem? Is it better on Zorin Core or on Linux Mint? Off topic: Do the software stores provide Firmware updates? Discovery on KDE does.

Zorin is by far the best distro that matches my laptop's hardware.

I have used Linux Mint from late 2016 and I have tried a lot of different distros on my spare laptop. I still haven't found any that would beat Mint. Zorin... well that's one I haven't tried yet. Maybe I will, one day, out of curiosity. EDIT: The only distro I've planned to switch to is LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition). But, lets watch the video till the end.

If you switch Zorin over to use xfce, it’s even faster :)

From what I understand, Linux Mint comes with an old kernel and can be updated, in Zorin could the kernel also be updated? Or does it break something in the system?

Mint to try first and get acquainted with Linux, MX as the second distro when you already get used to Linux and realise you didn't like Mint

Thanks + Gracias x 1,000,000

Will use Zorin. Customization is not important yo me.

Do you recommend any alternative to itunes (any free iphone manager) like syncios or 3utools on windows?

I think i'll wait until Zorin 18 or 19 before i switch from windows

Zorin is beautiful but there's just something great about that old fashioned look of Mint that I Iike more

I've been seeing a lot about this "Desktop Cube", and i can't help but feel it's a bit useless? As a windows user, i just use one workspace, i don't get why microsoft makes it so you can have more, and i really can't understand why people use it

this day in history I celebrate 21 years of that very same question 😃

If Windows OS users want to jump onto Linux, they simply cannot go wrong with Zorin OS 17. It has a VERY familiar layout. Windows OS users will feel right at home (mostly). The UI and UX have been intentionally kept VERY similar or nearly identical to Windows 10. Mint OS seems to be geared towards Linux Users who want a reliable Desktop or Laptop and are fairly familiar with Linux as an Operating System. Zorin OS 17 has come a LONG WAY in terms of multiple Optimizations, Tweaks, and Smoothness. It is highly polished but not restrictive. It is somewhat curated but does not limit users. Windows OS users looking to shift can EASILY and QUICKLY get onboard the Linu train with Zoring OS 17.

Be aware that the price for the premium version has gone up, from $39 to $49. Also if you're running Zorin OS 16 premium, you can't upgrade to 17 yet, it will be weeks before you can do that.

I find mint to be my go to, I think Zorin 17 is nice but mint just works better for me.

Very good and balanced review, although it should be taken into account how this reccomendation will change when Mint 22 releases next year, while Zorin will be stauck on 22.04.

Escape from Tarkov is the only thing keeping me on windows 10. This is the most aggravating thing.

Zorin all the way! Better interface, better features like Zorin connect, and best of all they support the Snap store because they are not snobs who must think for you, the main reason why I switched from Windows. Last but not least the jelly window animation feature is pure eye candy 👁️👁️

My stripped down KDE desktop boots up at 400 mb of ram. :) Between these two however, i still prefer mint. But personally i run Debian wherever i can.

LINUX does RUN ON older hw THOUGH! GOOD LUCK TRYING TO GET ANY other OS to RUN! It's USUALLY TIME to UPGRADE! $$$

Thanks, it got more useful at the end. Every Linux review spends 50% + of the time banging on about trivial tweaks to the interface. The real problem is the ability to run commercial applications, the availability, how to find and install/uninstall them, where they get installed, drivers, running windows applications..this stuff is REALLY hard to understand to new users...and that 'Terminal,' stuff is a massive turn off.

Zorin is best for newcomers.