Linux Mint isn't the best Windows replacement anymore

Summary ZorinOS is more modern and polished, making it easier for Windows/macOS users to switch.

Built-in Windows app support installs .exe/.msi with a click; Mint requires manual WINE setup.

Ships Wayland by default: crisper text, smooth animations, better scaling, NVIDIA and phone integration.

ZorinOS has been getting a lot of hype ever since Microsoft dropped support for Windows 10. Turns out the hype is justified. Linux Mint has been my go-to recommendation for Windows users, but testing ZorinOS changed my opinion.

ZorinOS is more modern and polished

A desktop that's exciting to look at

Linux Mint, at least for most, just works straight out of the box with minimal configuration. It's also incredibly stable. However, it does feel stuck in time when it comes to the look and feel of the OS. The Cinnamon desktop isn't the most polished desktop experience either. The developers are more focused on its functionality and stability, so the visual detail takes a backseat.

ZorinOS feels like a modern commercial OS. It looks and feels familiar, but at the same time, you can tell that a lot of thought went into designing it. It feels polished and consistent with its UIs, icons, themes, animations, and layouts.

Sometimes Linux distros feel "amateurish" because they're cobbled together without a consistent overarching UI/UX approach. ZorinOS is the opposite of that.

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In a similar vein, there's usually an expected learning curve when you're switching to a Linux distro. That's not the case with ZorinOS. It's built to be easy for everyone. If you can use Windows or macOS, you can use ZorinOS just as easily.

Quiz 8 Questions · Test Your Knowledge The origins of Linux

Trivia challenge From a Finnish dorm room to the world's servers — how well do you know the story behind Linux? History Pioneers Open Source Unix Milestones Begin 01 / 8 Pioneers Who created the Linux kernel? A Richard Stallman B Dennis Ritchie C Linus Torvalds D Andrew Tanenbaum Correct! Linus Torvalds created the Linux kernel in 1991 while studying at the University of Helsinki in Finland. He initially developed it as a personal project and famously announced it on a Usenet newsgroup. Not quite. The Linux kernel was created by Linus Torvalds, a Finnish student, in 1991. Richard Stallman founded the GNU Project, Dennis Ritchie co-created Unix and C, and Andrew Tanenbaum created the educational OS Minix. Continue 02 / 8 History In what year did Linus Torvalds first announce the Linux kernel to the public? A 1989 B 1991 C 1993 D 1995 Correct! On August 25, 1991, Torvalds posted his now-famous message to the comp.os.minix Usenet newsgroup, describing Linux as 'just a hobby' and saying it 'won't be big and professional like GNU.' History proved him delightfully wrong. Not quite. Torvalds made his famous announcement in 1991, posting to the comp.os.minix Usenet group. He described the project modestly as a hobby, little knowing it would eventually power billions of devices worldwide. Continue 03 / 8 Unix Which operating system directly inspired Linus Torvalds to create Linux? A BSD Unix B MS-DOS C Minix D Solaris Correct! Torvalds was using Minix, a small Unix-like OS created by Andrew Tanenbaum for educational purposes, and wanted to build something more capable and freely usable. His frustration with Minix's limitations drove him to write his own kernel. Not quite. The direct inspiration was Minix, an educational Unix-like system created by Andrew Tanenbaum. Torvalds used Minix on his PC but found it too limited for his needs, which motivated him to develop his own kernel from scratch. Continue 04 / 8 Open Source Under which license was the Linux kernel released, making it freely available to modify and distribute? A MIT License B Apache License C BSD License D GNU General Public License (GPL) Correct! In 1992, Torvalds re-licensed the Linux kernel under the GNU General Public License (GPL), a move that proved transformative. The GPL ensures that anyone who distributes Linux or a modified version must also make the source code available. Not quite. The Linux kernel is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL), which Torvalds adopted in 1992. This license was crucial to Linux's growth, as it guaranteed that the kernel and its derivatives would always remain open and freely modifiable. Continue 05 / 8 History What was the version number of the very first publicly released Linux kernel? A 0.0.1 B 0.01 C 1.0 D 0.10 Correct! The first publicly released version of the Linux kernel was 0.01, uploaded by Torvalds in September 1991. It was a rough early build not really intended for wide use, but it marked the true beginning of the Linux project. Not quite. The first public release was version 0.01, uploaded in September 1991. It was a bare-bones kernel that could barely run any software, but it invited collaboration from developers around the world who helped shape what Linux would become. Continue 06 / 8 Pioneers Which organization, founded by Richard Stallman, provided many of the essential tools and utilities that combined with the Linux kernel to form a complete operating system? A The Open Group B The Free Software Foundation and the GNU Project C The Apache Software Foundation D Bell Labs Correct! Richard Stallman's GNU Project had been developing free software tools since 1983, including compilers, editors, and shells. When the Linux kernel arrived, it filled the missing piece, and the combination became what many call GNU/Linux. Not quite. The GNU Project, launched by Richard Stallman and backed by the Free Software Foundation, had built a nearly complete free OS by the time Linux appeared. The kernel was the missing link, and together they formed a fully functional free operating system. Continue 07 / 8 Milestones Which was the first major Linux distribution aimed at making Linux accessible to everyday users? A Fedora B Debian C Slackware D Ubuntu Correct! Slackware, created by Patrick Volkerding, was released in 1993 and is considered one of the earliest and most influential Linux distributions. It helped bring Linux out of purely academic and developer circles and toward a broader audience. Not quite. Slackware, released in 1993 by Patrick Volkerding, was one of the first Linux distributions designed to make Linux more accessible. Debian also launched that same year, while Ubuntu didn't arrive until 2004, and Fedora followed in 2003. Continue 08 / 8 History What university was Linus Torvalds attending when he began developing the Linux kernel? A MIT B Uppsala University C University of Helsinki D Aalto University Correct! Torvalds was a computer science student at the University of Helsinki in Finland when he began work on the Linux kernel in 1991. He was running Minix on his new 386 PC and wanted a more powerful, free alternative. Not quite. Torvalds was studying at the University of Helsinki in Finland when he started the Linux project. He had recently bought an Intel 386-based PC and was experimenting with Minix before deciding to write his own operating system kernel. See My Score Challenge Complete Your Score / 8 Thanks for playing! Try Again

Windows apps run with a single click

Bring all your favorite Windows apps with you

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For people coming from Windows, ZorinOS has a built-in compatibility layer for Windows apps. There's a utility called Windows App Support which allows you to double-click a Windows installer file (.exe or .msi) and install it just like you would on Windows. Not all Windows apps are compatible, but it works well enough for lightweight apps.

I believe people should find native alternatives instead of trying to make Windows apps work on Linux. ZorinOS has you covered on that front thanks to its intelligent app recommendations. When you try to run a Windows app on ZorinOS, it'll show you a Linux alternative for that app, as well as a button to download it from the ZorinOS store.

Linux Mint doesn't have any of these features. If you want support for Windows apps, you'd have to manually set up WINE.

A built-in replacement for Windows Phone Link

Sync and send files between your PC and phone

ZorinOS has Zorin Connect—a built-in replacement for Windows Phone Link. It lets you sync notifications and texts between your phone and desktop. You can also share files and links between your devices. Your phone can also act as a keyboard, mouse, or slideshow remote for the ZorinOS desktop.

Better software support

Snap into action!

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Both Linux Mint and ZorinOS have software stores where you can search and install apps with a single click. However, ZorinOS provides Snap support out of the box. Mint has it disabled by default.

Better NVIDIA support

Drivers don't need to be scary

Linux Mint has a built-in Driver Manager utility that can automatically detect your GPU and recommend a list of compatible drivers. If your machine has an NVIDIA GPU and you install Linux Mint on it, you'll have to get the drivers using the Driver Manager after installing the OS.

ZorinOS makes it much simpler to install with NVIDIA drivers. While clicking through the ZorinOS installer, you'll see the option to try or install ZorinOS with modern NVIDIA drivers. It automatically installs and activates the drivers during the OS installation.

Easier customization and a simpler settings app

Make ZorinOS your own

ZorinOS has excellent customization features. You can easily switch the desktop layouts and themes with a single click. With Mint, you have to customize things manually.

Also, ZorinOS has a centralized settings app. It's, without a doubt, the best settings app I've ever seen on an operating system. It feels a lot like the macOS settings app if it weren't as cluttered.

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Mint has the classic systems settings center, which looks and feels more like the Control Panel on Windows. It's definitely more powerful and provides better control. However, the ZorinOS settings app is designed to be simple and safe, which makes it a better choice for newcomers.

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Smoother animations, crisp text, and better scaling

An all-around better visual experience

Wayland is a display technology that modern Linux systems use to get better visuals and scaling on high-resolution displays. ZorinOS uses it by default, but Mint is still stuck on the older X11 protocol.

With Wayland on ZorinOS, you'll see crisp and sharp text (it reminds me of the font rendering on macOS). The animations are buttery smooth without stutter. On high-res displays, ZorinOS will give you better fractional scaling, so the UI always fits the display just right.

You also get much better touchpad gestures with ZorinOS. On Mint, you have to manually set up even the basic touchpad gestures.

If you haven't tried ZorinOS yet, now's the time to do so

Mint has been the king of "just works" distros for years, but ZorinOS has dethroned it, in my humble opinion. ZorinOS is also purposefully built to be a replacement for Windows, while Mint is more general purpose.