Linux For Newbies - Zorin 9

Tried both. Still, would suggest you to give it a go. IMHO, Zorin wins hands down.
And this is after installing it on 4 newbie systems. No complains from any of them so far, after almost 4 months.
 
Wow! It looks like Windows7 in the screenshots!
That's nice and definitely a plus, but IMO Linux has become really easy to use. And most people use their computers only for browsing the web, and doing a little word and photo editing. And you don't really need to know anything to do that.
I'd installed CentOS on my fiancées computer (and she's a complete noob), and she didn't even realise that she wasn't running Windows. Admittedly, she didn't have Wine running, and didn't play games, and didn't try and add/remove programs by herself.
 
When I talk of Linux, I would like the person to get used to the system and then start exploring.
Most newbies give up in the exploring stage, since dependencies et al is beyond them and command line addition of repositories is the stuff their nightmares are made of.
Would rather spoon feed a guy till he has learnt the basics and a little beyond and then nudge him to explore further. Most of the other distro appear familiar on the surface, but the moment a little addition of software or maintenance pops up, a little linux knowledge becomes mandatory. And hence they go back to the familiar but pirated windows. But thats just my opinion.
 
OT . I use Ubuntu 14 on my netbook ( Samsung n150 ) to dual boot with win7 64 bit . The unity desktop is very sluggish on Intel atom . So downloaded gnome and its better than unity . Pc Linux os too gives a windows like feel . I will give zorin a try too [emoji3] .
 
I think a concentration of users to one distro will be better for Linux adoption. Debian and Redhat based or apt/dpkg and yum/rpm using distros. I believe Ubuntu is far more appealing to new users. especially Mint.
Xandors did the mimicking Windows UI long back. it will confuse more people. they even offered a "license" and "EULA" so as to feel 100% similar to Windows. :d but, pathetically failed.
instead, let the new *NIX user know, that you are using a different OS and it has nothing to do with Windows. below link explains a lot of it:
http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm
if Mac OS X attracts users and they learn it and adjust, why not with Gnome/Unity or Kde with Linux? Let the truth be known to the end user that, Linux is not Windows or Mac, it still needs use of command terminal and the target users are mostly advanced users or geeks/nerds. from the past decade UI is far more easier, but not novice/newbie proof.

Ubuntu or Fedora will be the best option. Driver availability is a problem. there will be a easy mechanism to compile driver modules in a n00b friendly manner. dkms is fine. still, if a driver is missing, the user must be notified that devices are recognized, but not configured due to missing driver/module.
 
For noobs, the learning curve for the unity desktop is quite steep. In addition, the fabled customisation options of linux are buried so deep that they give up well before they can reach any place of significance in their understanding.
Drivers will remain an issue as most manufacturers make linux an afterthought.
But, IMHO, to some extent, the plethora of distros, each with their merits and demerits, with their own camps and followers do more to drive away noobs than the actual OS. Choosing a distro leaves one so confused, and the feeling that maybe they made a mistake in choosing the distro when something does not work, drives users to the familiar but oft pirated windows.
Mac X users are a dedicated lot, and having spent the money they do for their machines, they hardly have any option but to learn the OS. :p
Xandors was an accident and a failure, like it deserved to be.
Letting a new *NIX user know that he is using a new system is fine, but the challenge is not making the learning curve so steep that he gives up or starts loathing using the machine.
Like I mentioned about Zorin, it is UBUNTU based. But made for a newbie. Reduces the learning curve so drastically that getting one to use it is not that difficult.
 
I used the LiveCD of Zorin and liked it a lot. I'm using a Windows 8.1 laptop and was trying to install Mint earlier in a separate partition but after installation I was always booting into Windows. I tried turning off UEFI on/off without any effect. Then tried installing the bootloader (in Mint) into another partition and Windows throwed up an error message. I got that repaired with Windows installation DVD and gave up installing Mint. Earlier with Windows 7 and Ubuntu the installation was simple.

Don't if I'm missing something here.
 
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