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Zorin OS

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Re: Zorin OS

#41
post #28
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't sound misleading to me. I read "$5,000 of professional software" as paid-for software that would have cost $5,000.

So clearly it is misleading, because what they mean is definitely along the lines of "we include GIMP while Photoshop costs $999".

How is it misleading when the sentence includes the word "alternative" from the boot? Are you misreading it and blaming the author?

Re: Zorin OS

#42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And in place upgrades! It was a massive problem for years with Zorin (and still exists with other "user friendly" distros like Elementary), requiring a full system reinstall every time a new version released. That being said, I still think this is a bit of a strange option when there's several Ubuntu flavors with more Windows-esque desktops, plus Linux Mint which offers a lot of these benefits with a much larger user…

elementary supports upgrades since OS 8 https://blog.elementary.io/os-8-available-now/#:~:text=In%20...

That's about normal system updates. Upgrading between versions appears to still require a full reinstall: https://github.com/elementary/os/wiki/Release-Upgrades

Also, strange to move those into settings IMO.

Re: Zorin OS

#43
I miss my early days of CS college and tinkering with distro installs and installs and so on. In fact it was so fulfilling that it felt like “cooking your own meal”. I never used Windows. So in last two decades my experience has been Linux distros to osx/macos. If it was not for the internet cafe computer+internet usage before college (had no other exposure to either, otherwise) my experience of Windows would have been absolutely ZERO which is what it is now.

I wish OEMs had made Linux distros first class citizens for their laptops and computers and I wish these distros also imagined “regular people” using their OS/software. I guess both never happening kinda kept nullifying each other. Maybes it’s too late now?

In fact there was a time (around a decade ago?) when the Linux based laptops had started becoming kinda “normal” — I remember buying a Linux Dell Vistro with Linux pre-installed from Dell, had helped a friend buy an XPS with linux pre-installed. We both haven’t touched anything other than a Mac in a really long time and last two times I had to buy a laptop I found zero Linux options (in India) — let alone “good” options.

PS. Oh, my favourite was always Elementary OS even though it was clearly in beta when I migrated to the macs. There was just something about that distro.

Re: Zorin OS

#44
post #25
post #12

I hope this succeeds where others have, well, not failed, but not had overwhelming success. Years ago I installed Linux Mint on a family member's computer but they got frustrated enough with it (and required my regular intervention enough) that we ended up switching away. Zorin boasting about you being able to play "an enormous library of your favorite games" or boasting about the vast software library feels like ask…

My cousin got my grandmother moved to Linux Mint with some actual success. All she did was check her email and browse the internet, and Linux can do that perfectly competently.

Same story here. Purchased a System76 machine for my ex-wife's grandmother. She "enjoyed learning about the new system". As a bonus she is now completely support scam immune, one of the advantages of the year of the Linux desktop not having happened yet.

Re: Zorin OS

#45

My only issue with this project is that, after navigating the webpage for a while, I can't see _any_ reference to open source software, and compliance with their licenses. They should at least put a link anywhere in the webpage, where people can click and at least be redirected to their components. I know compliance is about "you only provide it if asked for", but they could be a bit more proactive and _embrace_ that…

It depends what's included, but if it's only extra apps/better integration made in-house, those don't need to be open source

Also you can charge money for GPL software. If someone wants to pirate Zorin OS, that person seems outside their non-techie target audience

Re: Zorin OS

#46
post #40

I’m glad that there are distros catering towards less techy people. Linux needs this. But I take issue with selling open source projects that could otherwise be downloaded for free. The $48 Pro version resells open source software (Blender is mentioned on their website) and slaps on a few themes. Even if legal, this just seems highly unethical.

[deleted]

Re: Zorin OS

#47
post #28
post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Doesn't sound misleading to me. I read "$5,000 of professional software" as paid-for software that would have cost $5,000.

So clearly it is misleading, because what they mean is definitely along the lines of "we include GIMP while Photoshop costs $999".

I don't think that's misleading. There are a lot of people out there who aren't aware that free software exists that provides a lot of the functionality of software that costs $999. They clearly say "alternatives to".

Re: Zorin OS

#48
post #36
post #12

I hope this succeeds where others have, well, not failed, but not had overwhelming success. Years ago I installed Linux Mint on a family member's computer but they got frustrated enough with it (and required my regular intervention enough) that we ended up switching away. Zorin boasting about you being able to play "an enormous library of your favorite games" or boasting about the vast software library feels like ask…

FYI: FydeOS[0] is ChromeOS without google services [0]: https://fydeos.io/

I'm curious about whether FydeOS would get in the way of technical work or just be another Linux for most things?

Re: Zorin OS

#49
post #40

I’m glad that there are distros catering towards less techy people. Linux needs this. But I take issue with selling open source projects that could otherwise be downloaded for free. The $48 Pro version resells open source software (Blender is mentioned on their website) and slaps on a few themes. Even if legal, this just seems highly unethical.

> it is highly unethical to resell open source software produced by volunteers intending to make their work free.

Why? ZorinOS users can still download Blender for free if they don't pay for the mega-pack. You have to imagine that it's not very hard for Zorin to follow GPL guidelines ("here are your 13,000 source tarballs, good sir") with this business.

You also can't prove that any of these volunteers are against downstream repackaging of their work. If they were really ideologically against the idea of people being able to sell Free Software, then they probably wouldn't be putting time into a GPL project. Commercial redistribution of GPL software has been a thing since the 90s, with much larger pricetags than $48.

Re: Zorin OS

#50
post #40

I’m glad that there are distros catering towards less techy people. Linux needs this. But I take issue with selling open source projects that could otherwise be downloaded for free. The $48 Pro version resells open source software (Blender is mentioned on their website) and slaps on a few themes. Even if legal, this just seems highly unethical.

Would it be less unethical to charge a $48 installation fee?

Because as far as I know, there's nothing stopping you from installing the free version of Zorin OS and then installing Blender, Krita, Inkscape, etc.

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