Microsoft has spent the last four years trying to get everyone to upgrade to Windows 11, but not everyone has made the switch. With Windows 10 reaching “End of Life” last month, many are considering ditching Windows altogether. If you’ve felt the urge to finally check out a Linux alternative, you’re not alone—and the numbers prove it.
Zorin OS has always been one of the most compelling Linux distros for anyone jumping ship from Windows. That’s because it was designed specifically to make switching to Linux from Windows as smooth as possible. This approach seems to be working as the team announced over one million downloads of its latest version, Zorin OS 18. And of those downloads, over 78% are coming from Windows. Not all of those people are going to stick with Zorin OS forever, but it still shows a huge number of people are feeling unrest about the future of Windows.
So what makes it such an appealing option for Windows users? Zorin OS is built on Ubuntu, but it mimics Windows in many ways. There are multiple Windows-like layouts to choose from, the file explorer resembles Windows Explorer, there’s right-click content menus, familiar Control Panel organization, integrated OneDrive support, and more. Of course, it’s different in many ways too.
Zorin OS 18 features heavy web-app integration, allowing you to use the new Progressive Web App installer to turn services like Office 365 or Google Docs into standalone applications. Compatibility with Windows apps has also been upgraded in this release. While it still uses compatibility layers like Wine, the user-facing experience has been tweaked so more applications should run right out of the box without you needing to spend time fiddling with settings.
It should also be mentioned that Zorin OS can be a great Linux distro for Mac users as well. Zorin OS Pro includes layouts that can transform the interface into a macOS lookalike. These layouts give you a lot of control over how everything looks and feels.
With Microsoft continuing to double down on AI features and generally being a bit user-hostile with Windows 11, it’s easy to see why so many people are looking elsewhere. Personally, I switched to macOS last year as a long-time Windows user. I can see the appeal of Zorin OS, but there are other Linux distros for Windows users to choose from, too.
Zorin OS via Tom’s Hardware
What is Zorin OS? Linux for People Who Don’t Want to Leave Windows
Switching from Windows to Linux can be intimidating, but Zorin OS is designed to make it easy. It offers a familiar, Windows-like experience while letting you explore the world of Linux without feeling lost.
