Zorin OS and all its versions

ravenclawstudent

Hi,

I'm interested in Zorin OS. It'll be my first time working with Linux.

Zorin has a few versions as of today, Oct. 30th, 2018.
Versions:

• Zorin Ultimate
• Zorin Business
• Zorin Education
• Zorin Lite
• Zorin Core

If I get the Zorin Core and have it permanently installed on my computer (wiping out the Windows preinstalled on it), and I later decide to add Zorin Ultimate to get all that good extra stuff, would I be able to do that easily without erasing all my files (such as documents and game saves)? Is it a simple thing to download? Or will it be this big series of events? Please help me, I'm confused.

Next question...
I'm new to the Kernel idea, but I read somewhere you can customize your Kernels. With Zorin, could I customize it? Also, with Zorin, would I be functioning as an administrator? (I'm concerned with not having full control of my computer, this is why I ask).

Last question...
On the Zorin website, it says some of the version have a cost. I'm willing to purchase one, but does anyone know if this is a one-time purchase? Or a subscription?

dday35216

Looking at their page again -- I haven't been there for a couple of years -- and the difference in the downloads is really just the software packages that come pre-installed by default. The other difference is Ultimate has more desktop templates ( systems you can make your desktop experience look like, i.e Mac OSX ) and paid support ( hence the cost ).

The others have more business oriented apps or more games and emulators loaded. You can load Zorin Core and then load whatever else you think you might need ( it comes with a LOT of pre-installed stuff which is why some people don't like it)

It's pretty easy to use and my wife who is strictly a menu driven computer user has no trouble doing Browsing, email and some light office type stuff on hers

ravenclawstudent

@dday35216

So if I get Zorin Core, I can later add support and other things? I don't know how that process is, that's why I'm confused. I never heard of adding extra things to your OS before. So adding features is a strange concept for me. If I add features, I assume my files won't get deleted? I'm here thinking adding stuff and/or changing distros will factory reset my computer. That's what I want to avoid. So with this new idea of adding stuff, I'm so new at this that I don't know if my computer will reset with each update/change, etc.

Why would anyone dislike all the pre-installed stuff? What would that be bad? It sounds good to me...

dday35216

I don't know about adding paid support later. You can add any software that you think you might want by several different methods -- here's a very good tutorial https://youtube.com/watch?v=QZhqwWBzSu4

As far as the changing distros -- each distro is different. No different than changing from Windows 95 to Windows 7, they are different. You would remove one ( with a format of your drive) and install another. Any files you want to keep, you have to back up on a USB drive. As was mentioned in other threads, you can TRY many distros by booting their software from a USB. It will be slower than installed and most won't let you save things, but you can get an idea of what they look like and how they work without permanently installing them. Remove the USB, restart and you're back to your installed OS.

Now, as far as the pre-installed stuff, many Linux users are purists, meaning they want the leanest, most pristine install they can get. If they don't play games , then no games, if they don't use email , then no email clients , etc.. It's one of the reasons they left Windows in the first place, all the software that Microsoft forces you to install