14 DAY TRIAL // Zorin OS Educational, an Ubuntu-based operating system aimed at Windows users who are switching over to Linux, is now at version 9.
The Zorin OS 9 Educational series is based on the desktop environment called “Zorin Desktop,” which aims to provide an experience similar to the one on the Windows platform, but it also comes with a GNOME 2 imitation for people who want a more conservative look.
This latest flavor of Zorin actually arrives after the main one was released a couple of weeks ago, and the two are pretty similar from a visual standpoint. Both Zorin OS 9 and Zorin OS Educational 9 look pretty much the same and they try to provide alternatives to Windows 7, Windows XP, and GNOME 2.
This is done with the help of a very interesting application called Zorin Look Changer, which can help users change the way their desktop looks with the push of a button. The interesting thing about this technique is that the Zorin system doesn't copy to the letter the desktops mentioned above, it just provides a general feel that should help users get accustomed with a Linux distribution more easily.
Zorin OS Educational differs pretty much from the regular release when it comes to software. It's packed with applications that focus on education and it's actually a lot bigger, in terms of size.
“Zorin OS 9 Educational brings the latest and greatest software into the hands of students and teachers. Updated software and bug fixes ensure that your computer runs better than ever while improved hardware support and entirely new software ensures that you're getting the best experience you can, no matter which computer you use it on.”
“All Zorin OS 9 editions are Long Term Support (LTS) releases which means that you'll continue to get software updates and security fixes until 2019, making it the ideal choice for large-scale deployments,” say the devs.
The developers have also added a new Blue desktop theme to the Zorin Theme Changer, complementing the Light and Dark themes, but they have also added the Zorin Web Browser Manager to ease the installation of web browsers, the Zorin Splash Screen Manager, and Zorin Background Plus.
The distribution is based on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS (Trusty Tahr) and will benefit from five years of support. Check out the official announcement for a complete list of changes and improvements.
You can download Zorin OS 9 Educational right now from Softpedia.
