This is what’s new in the latest Zorin OS update

Sep 8, 2020 18:21 GMT  ·  By

Zorin Group has just released a new version of Zorin OS, and users can download it today from the typical distribution channels.

Zorin OS 15.3 is supposed to be “an enhanced version of the most advanced and popular release ever,” so while it doesn’t bring major changes, it comes with important refinements that users would obviously love having on their devices.

First and foremost, before discussing the changes in this update, let’s have a look at some official statistics.

Zorin OS 15 has recorded more than 1.7 million downloads, and this makes it one of the most successful releases ever. And what’s more, many of these downloads came from non-Linux devices, which once again shows how appealing the Linux world has become for Windows and macOS users.

“Since the Zorin OS 15 was first launched in June 2019, it has been downloaded over 1.7 million times. Over 65% of these downloads came from proprietary platforms like Windows and macOS, reflecting our mission to bring the power of Linux to new people and to grow the community for the benefit of all. We’ve been working ever since to make Zorin OS 15 even more powerful, accessible, and user-friendly with updates and point releases,” the official announcement reads.

The biggest change in Zorin OS 15.3 is the addition of LibreOffice 6.4.6, which is the most recent stable build of the productivity suite. LibreOffice is currently considered the top alternative to Microsoft Office, and Zorin OS developers say they’re trying to keep their users fully up-to-date especially during these difficult times when working remotely has become essential for so many of us.

So the debut of LibreOffice 6.4.6 in Zorin OS comes with improved collaboration when working remotely, but also better support for Microsoft Office documents.

And of course, the new release comes with important updates for the pre-loaded, so you can be sure you’re not missing out of anything.

“In addition to LibreOffice, you’ll notice that many for the core apps have been updated when using Zorin OS 15.3. Not only does this provide a better, faster, and more feature-rich experience out of the box, fewer software updates will need to be downloaded after installing Zorin OS onto your computer,” the dev team says.

Zorin OS runs on Linux kernel version 5.4 and comes with the latest security patches to make sure you are protected.

“Zorin OS 15.3 is now powered by the Linux kernel version 5.4 – the same version as in Ubuntu 20.04. In addition to performance, stability, and security improvements, it brings support for more hardware such as Intel’s newly-announced 11th generation Core processors, upcoming AMD processors & GPUs, and other peripherals. This means that Zorin OS will “just work” with even more computers and devices,” the release notes reveal.

All in all, Zorin OS 15.3 should be the most secure version of this operating system ever release, so you can be sure that your data is protected.

One important tidbit that you need to know is that this release will be supported until April 2023.

Zorin Connect, the mobile companion app available on Android, has also received several important improvements, including auto search for devices on Trusted Wi-Fi networks, full support for the latest Android versions, and quick buttons to send files and send clipboard in persistent notifications.

If you’re already running Zorin OS, it’s pretty easy to update to the latest version, as the Software Update can take care of everything for you. Just launch the app and check for updates, and then install all the available packages to be up to date.