'If you're familiar with Windows, everything will be right where you remember it – from the start menu to the taskbar – so you don't need to learn anything new,' explained Artyom Zorin, cofounder and CEO of Zorin Group.

The paid version, Zorin OS Ultimate (more discussion about this version later), comes with the Zorin Appearance tool, which includes six layout options: Windows (two layout options), Gnome 2, Ubuntu Unity, Gnome 3, and Mac OS ( Figure 1).įigure 1: Zorin OS Ultimate edition offers customized layouts to mimic the look and feel of Mac OS and Windows. The idea is not to copy the layout but to offer a familiar interface that makes users comfortable. Since Zorin specifically courts Windows and Mac OS users, it has created tools that can mimic Windows 10 or Mac OS layouts with one button. I looked at Zorin OS from three perspectives: support for Windows applications, compatibility with Windows, and ease of use. It's more about ease of use and the ability to bring your existing workload to the new platform. In my experience, what really helps people migrate from one platform to another goes beyond look and feel. I moved my wife to Ubuntu and eventually Chromebook. I have been migrating users from Windows to Linux for the last 13 years.

Users are attracted to such distributions, but it leads to buyer's remorse when they cannot bring their existing workload to Linux.

Most distributions stop at skinning the theme to resemble Windows XP, without actually bringing in support for the Windows ecosystem. When a distribution makes such a claim, it could mean several things. With its release of Zorin OS 12.4 in August, Zorin OS positions itself as an alternative to Windows and Mac OS, 'designed to make your computer faster, more powerful, and secure.'

Make windows 10 look like mac os