Zorin 8.1 or 9?

Hi!
I had to buy a new laptop and it has Windows 8 on it. Luckily I was able to make the OS look like Windows 7 with the help of a program called Startisback and disabling Edge Motion so the infantile looking Metro interface does not shove itself between me and what I was doing every time I slide my finger from right to left on my touch pad.

But still often a small panel appears which begins a scan and then always says that the particular program stopped working and then that gets disabled. It even happened with IE10! I had to download and install it again. And I had to disable Windows updates because during the first install of a series of 90 always a message would appear after an hour or more saying that the configuration failed. So then it would try again during a reboot, in fact thus throwing my laptop in a loop. I got rid of those updates by using the Refresh option, after which I had to re-intalll al programs I had put on it myself. I don't need those updates as I'm always surfing in the virtual space of Sandboxie. Even this I typing in the sandbox.

Then yesterday I got a newsletter with a download button for "zorin-os-9.1-core-64.iso." I had forgotten all about Zorin. But it turns out I have a DVD with Zorin 8.1 I burned on it. I only vaguely remembered I had tried it on my previous laptop which had Windows 7 on it. That OS was fine with me, but now with Windows 8 and the issues mentioned I'm more seriously thinking of trying Zorin again.

My question: for a simple home user -surfing and emailing with Opera's previous version (12.17) integrated email client, posting, watching YouTube video's, and Skyping, nothing else- would version 9 be better for me than the 8.1 version I have on that DVD?

Yes, you should install Zorin 9.
Zorin 9 is an Long term support version which will be supported up until 2019. This means that you will be getting security updates and bug fixes that will make the OS much more stable and secure.
On the other hand, the support for Zorin 8 has almost expired.

Also, Zorin 9 is using an updated and more upgraded kernel with all shorts of updates, fixes and better hardware support.

Don't even think about it. Zorin 9 is a one way street.

Thank you.

I'm posting this using Zorin 9 with a DVD I just burned it on, in my favorite Opera 12.16 browser all tweaked. Even have my Opera browser integrated email client set up. I had thought those things probably wouldn't work in Zorin... nice surprise to see they do.

I have more questions:
1. Can I set Zorin to open things with a single click -one tap on my touchpad- instead of double clicking or tapping?
2. Can I set Zorin to make my cursor "stick" to the slider bars with a click -tap- and release the slider again with one click - tap?
3. Can I put things on my tray or start bar, for example the Firefox and Opera icons?
4. I installed AdMuncher through Wine it looks like. But it's well hidden (can't find it) and adds still show when surfing. How can I make it visible? So I can find it, like putting it in the tray or start bar. On the Start menu would be OK too.
5. If AdMuncher would not work on Zorin, is there another add blocker I could use with Zorin and Opera? (For Firefox there is an add-on I understand. I never needed it having AdMucher.)

Over all I'm pleased with Zorin 9. My Windows 8 is not faster it seems, and this Zorin is still on the DVD only!
(I find my Windows 8 behaving so strangely sometimes I've scanned with MalwareBytesAntiMalware, Emsisoft AntiMalware, HitmanPro, and even with Panda Cloud (I removed the latter after the second opinion it gave.) They found nothing suspicious.

Maybe it's my laptop. Only 1.48 GHz. AMD E. But it was inexpensive.

Hi as you are new here, we'll let you off (just this once mind! ) When a topic has been answered and you require additional answers, please post a new topic in Help and Support section!

Ok, single-click is covered in Wolfman's excellent post-installation guide under: "Open items with "Single Click" "

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2054

You may also like to take a look at this article (but ignore the bits about Unity as in Zorin it is merely a 'look-alike' not the real Unity of Ubuntu! )

http://www.noobslab.com/2014/04/thingst ... ll-of.html

Firefox should already be on your startbar in 'dockbarX' next to the 'Z' menu button. To create an icon for Opera, go to the Menu and right-click the Opera icon and select -"Create Desktop Shortcut'.

Launch Opera from the desktip and you should see the ubiquitous 'O' icon appear on the panel - right-click and select 'Pin Application' - if create custom launcher is the only option available to you then in the 'command' box enter:

/usr/bin/opera %U

and if the O is not present but a 'Launch Application' icon - after you enter that command it will change to the usual 'O' icon!

Not sure about the AdMuncher - For Oper it is Ctrl+ Shift+ E - just search for 'adblock' and take your pick, plus Ghostery, plus self-destructing cookies

For Firefox, same procedure - main ones - adblock plus, ghostery.

Thank you. Very helpful.

I tried Zorin 9 once more last night with de disk inserted, and found the settings for "Mouse." I did not see an option to make the cursor "stick" to the slider bars to move those and relase them again. To have to keep one's finger on the touchpad to slide the bar, then lift it and click on that bar again to continue to slide it is not a easy as just having it "stick" until one frees it with one or two taps. (One tap only thanks to the link you gave on how to set that.)

AsMuncher mailed me that it doesn't work in Linux. But with adblock that is solved.

I ended my second try out after I had clicked (tapped) on the "On-Off" option on the mouse (touchpad) settings page (don't know what it's called yet) of Zorin. From that moment on the cursor was disabled, so I couldn't do anything anymore but hold the hardware "On-Off" button pressed down until the laptop shut down.

I know now not to do that anymore...

Hi, I just use cursor keys to move page up and down - I think! Can't check at moment as main machine is uploading a big video to veoh.com on dual booting - Part A!