Zorin OS, known for its stunning aesthetics and user-friendly interface, is a Ubuntu-based Linux distro crafted to be accessible for newcomers while offering powerful features for seasoned users.
The focus on beauty in Zorin OS is not just skin deep; it’s a fundamental aspect of its design philosophy, blending elegance with efficiency, and the just released Zorin OS 17 fully confirms this.
New Features in Zorin OS 17
Based on Ubuntu 22.04 “Jammy Jellyfish” and powered by Linux kernel 6.2, Zorin OS 17 offers many new features and improvements designed to elevate your computing experience.
Zorin OS 17 has arrived – our most advanced version ever. Exciting new features and improvements take your computer to a whole new level.
Revamped Menu
The Zorin Menu, the gateway to the Zorin OS experience, has undergone a significant overhaul. This revamped feature now offers universal search capabilities, allowing users to navigate through files, appointments, contacts, and applications effortlessly.
Adding an “All Apps” category further enhances the user experience, providing a comprehensive, alphabetically sorted list of all applications.
Multitasking and Spatial Desktop
Zorin OS 17 redefines multitasking with its refined activities overview and horizontal workspace arrangement. Enhanced by intuitive touchpad gestures and the Super/Logo key shortcut, these features promote a fluid multitasking environment.
On top of that, introducing the Spatial Desktop, including the Desktop Cube and Spatial Window Switcher, adds a 3D aspect to workspace management, offering users a visually rich and contextually aware computing experience.
Keep in mind that these features aren’t enabled by default. To start enjoying them, head to “Zorin Appearance” > “Effects” and look at the “Spatial Desktop” section to allow them to.
Advanced Window Tiling
Advanced window tiling caters to the needs of power users, offering enhanced control over window management.
Moreover, the new Quick Settings menu in the system indicator further enhances the user interface, providing quick access to Dark Mode, audio device selection, and adjustable Power Modes for optimized performance and power efficiency.
As in the case of the Desktop Cube effect, the window-tilling capability is not enabled by default. You can do this by going to “Zorin Appearance” > “Interface” and switching the “Advanced Window Tilling” toggle on.
Enhanced Apps
The new overlay interface for screenshots and screen recording in Zorin OS 17 simplifies capturing and sharing screen content, enabling users to take images or videos of their screen with minimal effort.
Moreover, the redesigned Weather app offers a detailed forecast integrated into the desktop for convenient access.
Lastly, we can not fail to mention that Zorin OS 17 introduces two new desktop layouts in its Pro version – a ChromeOS-like layout and a GNOME 2-like, providing users with more options to personalize their computing environment.
Additional Features
Apart from all mentioned above, Zorin OS 17 also includes:
- New parental controls
- Streamlined app selections
- Improved hardware support
- Updated theme styling
- Slimmer status popups
- Remote desktop sharing now uses the RDP protocol by default
But that’s not all! With a focus on speed, Zorin OS 17 ensures snappier performance across various hardware. This is achieved through extensive optimizations at every level of the operating system. As a result, the minimum system requirements are lowered from 2 GB of RAM to only 1.5 GB of RAM.
The Software store, too, has been rejuvenated with a sleek design and improved functionality, making app exploration and installation more enjoyable.
You can refer to the announcement for detailed information about all changes.
Upgrade to Zorin 17
If you are running Zorin 16, upgrading to 17 is simple and seamless. Here’s our comprehensive and easy-to-follow “How to Upgrade to Zorin 17 from 16: A Step-by-Step Guide.”
Download and Support
Zorin OS 17 promises long-term support until at least June 2027, making it a good option for your desktop computing needs. The base edition, Zorin OS 17 Core, is free to download and includes all the essentials. You can grab the installation ISO from the download section on the project’s website.
At the same time, the distro offers a paid option, Zorin OS Pro, priced at $48, that provides additional features compared to the free version:
- A wide range of preinstalled applications: Unlike the Core or Lite versions, the Pro edition has a comprehensive software suite. This includes business and media apps and additional games, making it suitable for a wide array of tasks right out of the box.
- Additional desktop layouts: Zorin OS Pro offers more desktop layouts, mimicking the appearance and functionality of other popular operating systems.
- Premium desktop themes: Pro users get access to exclusive desktop themes, allowing for greater user interface customization.
- Installation support: Purchasing the Pro edition also includes access to direct customer support from the Zorin OS team, which can benefit users requiring technical assistance.
Whether you pick Core or Pro depends on what you need and prefer. Either way, Zorin OS 17 is worth trying out.
Pinnacle of Desktop Beauty? If you want something to mimic Windows 10 and 11, then yes. If you want something that is Linux, then no. I used Zorin from 5-10 and then left Zorin over the drive to mimic Windows. I now user Ubuntu Mate, Mint, or Sparky. All superior in my humble opinion.