Zorin OS Core

Zorin OS 15.2, released on March 8, adds an impressive selection of upgrades and improvements to an already well-oiled Linux operating system.

Zorin OS certainly deserves to be on the shortlist of worthy Microsoft Windows alternatives. The distros on that list, including Ubuntu MATE, Linux Mint Cinnamon, Elementary OS, Solus and Peppermint, show the diversity of the Linux desktop as a better computing option than Windows.

Zorin has a release for grammar schools as well as a new platform for large groups, called “Zorin Grid.” It includes a cloud-powered feature to make it simple to set up, manage, monitor and secure a fleet of Zorin OS computers.

Zorin OS has a commercial distro — Zorin OS 15.2 Ultimate — available for $38. Zorin OS 15.2 Core and Zorin OS 15.2 Lite are free to download and use. The Core edition running a modified GNOME desktop is for most users. The Lite edition sports the lightweight XFCE desktop and comes with fewer preinstalled applications.

Zorin OS normally gets updated twice per year. Otherwise, minor updates are released every few months as needed. However, following version 12’s release in late 2016, there was a long wait until its next major upgrade appeared as Zorin OS 15 beta in March of last year.

Zorin OS Core uses a well integrated and tweaked user interface to make the GNOME 3 interface much more productive. Core has what the developer dubbed the “Zorin Desktop.” Do not be fooled into thinking this is a new offering.

One of the major attractions of the Zorin OS GNOME design is the menu layout. It strongly resembles the look of Windows 7, giving new users a comfort zone.

Zorin OS 15.2 updates the included Linux kernel to 5.3. This brings expanded hardware support for Intel 10th-generation CPUs, AMD Navi RX 5700 Series and support for newer MacBook and MacBook Pro keyboards and touchpads.

Minimum system requirements are 64-bit (1GHz) processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 10 GB free disk space.

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