Zorin OS: a familiar desktop, and an hourly census
Zorin OS presents itself as an alternative to Windows and macOS, on an Ubuntu base. The product page says it does not collect personal data. The policy describes an hourly ping, which setup lets you refuse.
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What to expect
Zorin fits if you want a desktop that can resemble an environment you already know. The privacy slogan is incomplete: the census exists, and it can be removed.
Who it is for
Zorin OS fits if you want a Linux whose desktop can take a layout close to Windows, macOS or another Linux, without relearning every gesture. It fits poorly if you want a base you assemble yourself, or a system whose publisher does not count installations.
What you gain
You get the Zorin Appearance app, which changes the desktop layout, and an Ubuntu base for packages. The project also says it runs on computers as old as 15 years, and offers support for some Windows apps. Those are its claims, not a trial.
What you take on
You follow Zorin and the Ubuntu base. A Pro edition exists on the site. Its price was not re-read here. Windows app support is not a promise that every Windows program will open.
Privacy
The product page says Zorin OS does not collect personal data. The policy documents something else: an hourly ping with an anonymous installation identifier, the user count, an OEM batch if there is one, and the version. Zorin says the identifier does not name you, unless someone links it to you.
The refusal is in the installer, a choice not to join the census. Afterwards, the policy gives the command sudo apt remove zorin-os-census. An error report, if you choose to send one, can also carry an anonymous indicator. We did not read a page that says the Ubuntu question has been removed.
The decision
Choose Zorin if the familiar desktop is the reason, and remove the census if you do not want it. Do not repeat “no personal data” without this sentence: the ping exists while the package is there.
From the provider
Zorin OS
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