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A Windows 10 Alternative: Ubuntu-Based Zorin OS Linux Distro (betanews.com)
"With a click of a button, you can change the desktop layout to match that of Windows versions and Gnome 3. The Ultimate edition...also features Ubuntu, Gnome 2 and macOS-like layouts." BrianFagioli shares an article about a Linux-based operating system "designed for Windows-switchers."
While the company does charge for an "Ultimate" version, the "Core" edition of Zorin OS 12 is entirely free... "As Zorin OS 12 is based on Ubuntu 16.04 LTS, it will be supported with security updates until April 2021. This makes Zorin OS 12 the ideal choice for large deployments in businesses, governments, schools and organisations", says The Zorin OS Team"... Zorin OS features some really great features, such as Google Drive integration with the file browser.
Although unlike Windows 10, its default browser is Chromium.
Although unlike Windows 10, its default browser is Chromium.
Making a desktop look like Windows 10 is hardly the requirement for a replacement. Can it run Windows software, or replacements for them in a way no other linux distro could? I think we know the answer, hell no.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSdRTOh2jeA
Seriously, those of us who can install an operating system are hardly scared by "moving to a desktop environment like GNOME or Unity can be confusing and scary (from TFA)." Those of us who are scared by such a monstrous change in paradigm will never be able to install an OS, or understand that an OS is not part of the laptop, for what matters.
Either these guys manage to get their stuff preinstalled on some decent PCs, and I wish them the best luck possible, or I hardly see some hacker giving them 15 bucks for the privilege of a macosx-inspired theme, 20 crappy games and video wallpapers (I may give them some money to NOT have video wallpapers).
this post contain no useful information, no need to mod it down
Sorry, but just making the UI "similar" is not enough to make it an "alternative" any different than the likes of Mint.
It would need to actually be able to run every Windows based applications and games, without issues, for it to be an "alternative".
This is just Linux with a different coat of paint on top, nothing new.
"Pros: It's not Windows 10
Cons: It's trying to look like Windows 10"
Can I play Battlefield on it? Can I play Civ 6? I guess not.
I would love to switch to Linux. The fact of the matter, nearly every program which I want to run, does not work natively on Linux.
Office? Nope. Photoshop? Nope.
Please, do not tell me to use WINE. Sure, it may be possible to get it going, but it is shit. Complete and total shit.
Wine is like buying a 911 4S then insisting the buyer replace the tire with a 13 inch wheels from a 1979 Datsun B210. Sure, it will technically work, but what the fuck did you buy that car for?
I haven't experienced windows 10, but 8 is worse than 7 and 7 is worse than XP, so I'm not exactly full of joyous anticipation.
Maybe there's a 3rd-party addon that'll make it almost as good as ME?
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
I'm a Mac user, but - in my opinion, Windows 7 was actually the pinnacle* of Windows' operating systems. It's what I've used in any home VMs I've set up for stuff requiring Windows, such as my wife's sewing software.
8 and 10 seem like several steps backward; although 10 is progressing and likely will eventually get to where it's indistinguishable from 7.
* For sufficiently low definitions of "pinnacle".
#DeleteChrome
... for the simple reason the desktop isn't cluttered (unless I want it cluttered), it's easy to add / remove app launchers, the desktop look and feel are easy to configure. It looks a lot like Windows 7, which worked for me no problem. I'm not a big "make your desktop like your personality" guy. I just like getting work done, and I want my desktop to do what it's supposed to do: gimmie GUI, with a minimal amount of fuss. I've been using Mint for the last 3 years and it's my favorite distro.
No I don't think you will have happy customers. In fact making Linux look exactly like any other operating system like Windows or Mac is a recipe for disaster. I think of it as the uncanny valley of desktops. At first users may be comforted seeing something familiar. But as they use it, subtle differences will lead to a jarring experience. And sooner or later, as the GP said, users will try to install some cool program they found that won't work when they download it.
In my experience moving people from Windows to Linux, having a look and feel that closely resembles Windows is not at all important. It's not helpful at all. Most Linux desktops function similarly enough to Windows to be nearly immediately usable to most users. Having a look and feel that's different from Windows reinforces the idea that they aren't using Windows anymore, but something different, though it works on the same principles. I have never changed program icons to "Excel" or "Word" as that also would be harmful when they encounter differences (as soon as they open the application... LibreOffice looks and acts very differently from current versions of Office). Instead I make shortcuts entitled "Word Processor" or "Spreadsheet." Often I just leave them as they were.
Really none of this theming nonsense is necessary and it's not helpful to Linux adoption. In fact it may actually be harmful in the long run. Linux desktops have to stand on their own or we're doomed to failure.
Win2k is the last windows version with a efficient UI.
Every version after add more eye candy while simultaneously try to hide functionality. Settings are hidden inside more and more layers and take far more clicks to access.
I would say Win2k is the closest point to "right" any MS OS ever been.