first impressions - feeling cheated

Hi,
So last weekend my SSD in my ThinkPad failed, and the old HDD with WIn7 wouldn't boot, nothing I could do to get it to boot. So I hemmed an hawed all week and looked at a few different Linux distros. based on what I read and saw, I picked Zorin. It was billed as the most Windows 7 like distro available, wasn't a fan of the default to Chrome, but that's simple enough to switch to Firefox, or so I thought. I'm no stranger to a CLI or Linux, I used a couple distros briefly in College 10 years ago and I'm an experienced PC technician, I know Windows well, and have some limited Mac experience. I'm not a fan of Macs though. I learned DOS when I was 2 or 3 years old. I simply like Windows and while I have tried Linux before (Xandros, Ubuntu, SUSE), nothing felt right. So it has been at least 4 years since I have tried Linux (save for my Nokia N9 running MeeGo Harmattan, ok it's really Maemo I know, but it works great).
I chose Zorin and installed it. Only to find the "taskbar" is sort of a hybrid between traditional Linux task bars and the Windows 7 one (I can't even figure out how to get it to show icons with the title like in XP, this is simple in Windows 7), and the Start Menu equivalent is nice, but that's about it. The rest feels like a cross between Linux and OS X, the System Settings is almost identical, same with the network connection management. I thought I was getting the closest thing to a Windows clone (except for ReactOS which is only just about ready for beta testing, and is closer to Win2K than Win7) that you could get, instead I got OS X clone with a dash of Windows 7. To me this is false advertising. And don't give me the BS response of "it's Linux, forget about stupid Windows", I chose Zorin because it targets users like me, so I was expecting things to be organized and designed to mimic the way Windows XP/7 (even I don't care for some of the changes from XP to Vista/7 like the removal of the menu bar and status bar by default) does.

Also, while I get the idea of app repositories and such, I wish it was simpler than it is to go to a website to download an app and then install it, but where the hell do I install an app to? Where is the installer (Windows has the Windows Installer, the Nullsoft installer, WISE, etc.), what's so hard about providing these simple tools to former Windows users who don't like or understand the concept of the "Software Centre". I went to manually download Firefox, only to discover I had no clue where to extract the files to and that there was no installer, even OS X is easier to install apps than on Linux. I also cant seem to find where the setting is to disable the touchpad in favour of just the touchpoint on my ThinkPad.

I tried to download Skype directly because it had the latest version that the Software Centre didn't have, but non of the Ubuntu or Debian 64bit or 32bit (I installed Zorin 64bit) .deb packages worked.

As a PC tech I need to understand my customers, and I simply can't recommend any Linux distro unless the user is happy and willing to experience drastic change.

Am I asking too much? I feel cheated by the claims made about Zorin.

Any suggestions on getting as close to Windows 7 as possible?

Daniel

Hi,

I don't have any tricks about Win7 appearance in general but I did write a guide which may help you with some configuration:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2054

Please bear in mind that this guide is for the Gnome 2 desktop, perhaps another forum member can give you a few tips about making it look more like Windows as I don't do that myself!!.

Regards Wolfman

My understanding for the whole idea behind zorin is that it is the gate for a transition from win to linux.
It is not a clone of windows. If you want something that does exactly the things that windows do and looks exactly like windows, then why leave windows?
Zorin creates a comfortable environment for a new linux user. However, and since Zorin is Linux based, it must comply with the basics of linux.
Myself has been a windows user all my life. I have tried too many linux distros but none of them was feeling right or complete. When I came across zorin it just felt right. Yes, in the beginning I was using the windows look because this was the only look I had used during my PC life. But then I started experimenting, and I have seen that there are other things/looks apart from windows. Now I am using gnome looks, unity looks etc.
I have learned how to install programs, use the terminal, create launchers and a bunch of other stuff and I feel great and safe. So, at least as regards myself, Zorin is a huge success as it delivered to me exactly what they promised. -A Gateway-
But this needs some time and good will. Do not expect to learn everything out of a new system in just one day. You have been using windows all your life so you are used to a certain way to get things done.
As I said in my opinion Zorin is the gateway from windows to Linux. It is not windows. If you have the good will to learn 3-4 basic linux things you will see that most of the times they are done much faster and easier that windows. If you installed zorin expecting that the only change from windows was the logo in the background, then unfortunately you were mistaken. Not cheated. Mistaken.
Please do not get me wrong. All above is written in a very friendly way.

You must have installed Zorin 6 so I can understand your feelings of betrayal and disappointment but I don't recall Zorin claiming to be a Windows clone. I use Zorin 5.2 (NOT 6.0 or ANY gnome3) because it is the most stable and if you choose the Windows desktops, it looks like Windows. Most Windows users have no clue about how to configure Linux and they don't need to. The menus are there with the programs. The package manager works pretty good and it's all automated install. The browser installer has never worked for me in any version, but Firefox is right there in the synaptic package installer along with Opera too.
I guess you could stick with Windows and get the WindowsPager for the extra desktops and Desktopinfo for the Conky look and try to look like Linux!. There is a learning curve with Linux as far as installing software via the 'terminal, but it does work, eventually, and once you have used Linux and configured say Zorin 5.2, you will not be missing Windows at all. I have a dual boot system because I still have many Windows XP softwares I paid good money for that I use and are not available in Linux, yet. I can install Win XP over and over now because it 'activates' without begging MS, so it is free now and i have access to both. Windows 7 is a lot harder to get around in than Zorin is and a lot of XP software no longer works there. Once 'unzipped' gz's most downloaded apps have an "install" text file with "how to install" right there. It installs it so the program title appears on the menus. I admit, it was all "Greek" to me at first, and it took a long time to figure stuff out.
Believe me, Linux has come a long way since the floppy start-up disc and a text based GUI and I would stick with it because once you learn your way around it's not so bad. Avoid Gnome 3 for now until it has the rough edges smoothed out.

I had a rough, long drawn out transition to Linux, mainly because I was afraid of the Terminal. But I knew I had to grow up eventually as Win XP was on its last legs and even then, all I knew about Windows was that I had to update the security every week at least....

2 hours a week for a decade or so (when there were no problems.)(There were ALWAYS problems!) Not counting slow; give me back my life somebody!

....And that it was sluhuhuhluhuhuhulooowwwww. I knew it was slow because sometimes for one or two sites it wasn't. Not for long though and not at all often.

The trouble is that every Windows user has been damaged. We have to unlearn as well as learn and do it instantly and at the same time. You could be thinking about what to do next with Windows while waiting for it to open the next page of the net or whatever.

Try that with any linux and it is waiting for you.*

I don't know if it Zorin is Windows like, the few bits that seem Windows-ish, I don't like. When I am less easily confused, I will make it more like a set up I'd prefer -when I find out what that is.

Meantime I really like this thing. I hope you come around too.
Whatever, good luck.

*There aught to be a law against people being taught to use Windows without also learniing that there are alternatives. I'd like to sue my government for that. They bought into Windows, made William the Bad a Sir and forced all us lamers and lusers to learn Windows.