If you haven't heard already, Zorin OS 18 celebrated one million downloads in the space of a month, with 78% of those downloads coming from Windows machines. That's a cool 780,000 downloads originating from a Windows machine, and it was a cool insight as to how people in Microsoft's ecosystem are beginning to poke a toe into the open-world side of things.

Originally, when I would recommend a Linux operating system for a Windows user, I would lean towards Linux Mint. However, after giving Zorin OS 18 a spin and thinking about it for a little more, the distro has jumped up in my beginner rankings a few places.

Windows App Support lets you keep using EXEs

A little change that goes a long way

When I first moved from Windows to Linux, I had this strange phase where I didn't realise I was using Linux. It sounds weird, but essentially, I had gotten so accustomed to Linux that my brain began reverting back to habits that I had learned over decades of Windows use. This included downloading the EXE version of apps and wondering why they wouldn't boot.

If you're not sure why this would be a problem, EXE files are a Windows-native thing. You can't download one onto a Linux system and run it without some additional aid. Fortunately, the Zorin OS team understands that some people coming over from Windows will try to download and run EXEs, so they included a service called "Windows App Support."

Say you find the EXE of a program you want online, and you grab it. When you try to run it, Windows App Support jumps in and asks if you want to set it up. If you allow it to get set up, it will run your program through something called Wine. This is a compatibility layer that tries to 'translate' the app from a Windows-compatible format over to Linux.

Fortunately, a lot of the major apps have a Linux version, so you shouldn't be relying on Windows App Support for everything. However, for those fringe cases, it's nice to have.

Zorin OS 18's UI deliberately takes notes from Windows

Keep that muscle memory going

Another sticking point people have moving from Windows to Linux is the UI. As someone who recently left Windows myself, I think one of the big reasons I never got along with Ubuntu was that the UI really turned me away. I needed something that was essentially "Windows, but without the Windows," and I'd eventually find some solace in Cinnamon, and then KDE Plasma.

But you don't have to make do with a UI that takes some elements from Windows. Zorin OS 18 actually includes some Appearances that are as close to Windows as you can get. And yes, note how I said "Windows" and not a specific version, because you can totally grab a Windows 10 or a Windows 11 format with just a few clicks.

It's a good jumping pad into the larger world of Linux

Or you can stay, if that's more your thing

When I first gave Zorin OS 18 a try, I originally hesitated to recommend it, because some features were locked behind a paywall. And to be honest, it still leaves a bit of a foul taste in my mouth, especially once I learned that paying only unlocks the premium features for that version. Once Zorin OS 19 comes out, you'd have to rebuy it.

But then I realised something. Zorin OS 18, as a free product, is a fantastic way to dip your toe into the world of Linux. You can customize your OS to look like Windows, give Linux a try, and use Windows App Support while you figure out which apps to keep and which you can get rid of. And if that's good enough for you, then that's fine.

However, if you're anything like me, you'll develop an itch. It's the itch that every Linux user, new or old, will get throughout their Linux journey: the desire to "distro hop." It's a rite of passage for all Linux users where you begin installing and uninstalling operating systems on the hunt for "The One." There will always be that nagging feeling at the back of your head that the grass is greener on the other side, and given the sheer number of Linux distros to pick from, there's always some grass you can explore.

Take me, for example. I began my life as a Linux Mint user, then changed to Ubuntu for a short spell. I then went to Fedora KDE, then Arch Linux, and then back to Fedora. I then tried KDE's operating system, then the immutable version of Fedora KDE, then EndeavourOS, and now I'm back on Arch Linux. And for now, the itch has been sated, and I might rest here for at least a year, but I could have said the exact same thing a few months ago during my Fedora phase.

Am I ecstatic about Zorin OS having a paid version? Not really. Do I think the free version works as a nice demo for Linux? For Windows users, yes. Do I recommend people keep using Zorin OS 18 or pay for it? Only if you want to. But trust me when I say that there are a ton of distros out there, and if you want to really get to grips with Linux, you can venture forth and find a distro that isn't based around being an introduction for Windows visitors.

Zorin OS 18 is great for Windows escapees, but it's also just the beginning

Overall, I think Zorin OS 18 is a good way for Windows users to give Linux a try. Whether or not they stay with Zorin OS is entirely down to what they want from their system. Some may fall in love with the free version, and others may opt to pay, but honestly, I think they'd be doing themselves a disservice if they didn't, at the very least, sample other distros that the world of Linux has to offer. And as that initial launching point, I think Zorin OS 18 does a great job.