I am not going to waste on explaining what Linux is, why/how to use it. You can Google it and you will find so much information online. Because Linux is open source and everyone can modify and contribute to it, there are many versions of Linux, and each version is called a Linux distribution, or distro in short. If you are not happy with Microsoft Windows OS but don’t want to switch to an expensive Apple computer, you can definitely give Linux a try. This being said, however, there are so many different Linux distros with different desktop environments (desktop environment is a graphic user interface on top of Linux so user does not have to use command line, like the Windows interface over the old DOS prompt), and most of the desktop environments are very different from the Windows or MacOS interface, so it is a daunting job to find the best distro for a new user. The good news is there are some special Linux distros especially developed to ease the pain of switching to Linux from Windows or MacOS. Here I will show you a Linux distro called Zorin OS which is designed to help Windows users to switch to Linux easily by providing a desktop environment simulates the Windows interface. Now let’s get started.

Zorin OS is based on Ubuntu Linux and comes with two versions: Zorin Core (free version) and Zorin Ultimate (paid version) and can be downloaded from the official website.

After you download the installation image file and burn it on a DVD, you can insert the disk into your computer and reboot your computer to start the installation. I installed Zorin OS on my VirtualBox virtual machine but the process should be the same as on an actual computer.

After your computer reboots, you should see the screen below. This screen is common to all Ubuntu based distro.

1. Click Install Zorin to start the installation process.

2. Tick both check boxes and click Continue.

3. Choose “Erase disk and install Zorin” and click Continue. And then click Continue when prompted with warning.

4. Sit back and relax while Zorin OS is being installed.

5. During the installation, you will be prompted for time-zone information and user account set up, just follow the onscreen instructions to complete them. Once the installation is finished, you will be prompted to reboot your PC. After reboot, you will see a login screen as follows:

6. Enter your account credentials to login, then a beautiful Windows-like screen will be displayed in front of you.

Isn’t it pretty and familiar?
7. Click the bottom left corner and you will see a Windows-like start screen

Now, it’s your turn to start exploring the new Zorin OS in a Windows-like environment. Hopefully it can help your transition from Windows to Linux.