Home windows 10’s finish of life is coming in 2025 and which means you need to hope your machine can run Home windows 11, buy a new computer, or strive one thing completely different — like Linux.
Linux should not be thought of a last-choice different, both, as a result of it is each bit equal to Home windows or MacOS. It is dependable, safe, user-friendly, and free. What extra would you like?
Additionally: This Linux distro I recommend to power users takes a unique approach to OS design
I do know: You need an working system that appears and looks like Home windows 10. That makes excellent sense since you’ve been utilizing Microsoft’s OS for a very long time and alter is commonly onerous.
Which distribution is correct for these searching for a seamless transition from Home windows to Linux? There are fairly a number of selections on the market; I will present you what I take into account your three finest choices.
1. KDE Neon
A slight resemblance to Home windows 7, however may be totally configured
It is elegant, it is easy to make use of, it is KDE Neon.
Jack WallenZDNET
KDE Neon is the flagship distribution for highlighting the KDE Plasma desktop atmosphere. What’s so great about KDE Plasma is that it may be configured to appear and feel nearly any method you prefer it. Out of the field, KDE Plasma does bear a slight resemblance to Home windows 7, however you’ll be able to tweak it to look extra like Home windows 10 or 11 if you happen to like.
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KDE Neon advantages from a Ubuntu base, so it’s extremely user-friendly and handles {hardware} recognition like a champ. And anybody coming from nearly any model of Home windows will really feel proper at dwelling on the KDE Plasma desktop atmosphere. For many who’d wish to finally work with a desktop that appears nothing like Home windows, KDE Plasma can simply make that occur. Flip the underside panel right into a dock and add a prime bar and you’ve got a desktop just like MacOS. KDE Plasma is that versatile.
Like practically all Linux distributions, KDE Neon may be downloaded and put in free of charge.
2. Linux Mint
A really user-friendly working system
Linux Mint may not be themed like Home windows 10 or 11 however it’s actually throughout the realm of Home windows-ish desktops. For instance, you may discover a panel, a begin menu, a system tray, and clickable icons, all on prime of a really user-friendly working system.
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Another excuse to go the Linux Mint route is that it advantages from the identical degree of {hardware} recognition as Ubuntu. That makes excellent sense, provided that Linux Mint is predicated on Ubuntu. Linux Mint makes use of the Cinnamon desktop atmosphere by default, however you’ll be able to obtain editions that use Mate or Xfce. For these migrating from Home windows, I’d advocate sticking with the default Cinnamon desktop, as it is going to be essentially the most acquainted and dependable.
Linux Mint is a free distribution and has a really sturdy group. The builders hear, and the discharge schedule could be very dependable.
You possibly can obtain Linux Mint free of charge on as many machines as you want.
3. Zorin OS
Professional version seems to be and looks like Home windows 11
That is simply one of many many desktop layouts obtainable in Zorin OS.
Screenshot by Jack Wallen/ZDNET
Though the purpose of Zorin OS is not to duplicate Home windows 10, it does provide a number of desktop layouts, together with a really Home windows-like UI. In case you pay for the Pro edition ($47.99), you get extra layouts, resembling one that appears and looks like Home windows 11.
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Here is one of many main explanation why I’m together with Zorin OS: You can begin out utilizing the Home windows 11-like format and, as you develop accustomed to the open-source OS, you’ll be able to change it as much as have a desktop that resembles MacOS or one of many straight-up Linux environments (resembling GNOME or KDE Plasma). The Zorin OS desktop is predicated on GNOME however the builders have made it much more versatile than your common GNOME desktop.
The free model of Zorin OS comes with 4 desktop layouts and the Professional model provides six extra. Of these 19 layouts, 4 are Home windows-like (Home windows Basic, Home windows, Home windows Listing, and Home windows 11). A type of choices is certain to fulfill the Home windows consumer in you.
ZorinOS Core may be downloaded and installed for free and the Professional license may be purchased from the official ZorinOS website.
4. blendOS
Barely Home windows 11-like but additionally immutable
The Deepin desktop atmosphere makes blendOS a factor of magnificence.
Jack Wallen/ZDNET
blendOS may not be in your radar, nevertheless it must be. Not solely does this Linux distribution bear a slight resemblance to Home windows 11, nevertheless it’s additionally immutable (which means it’s extremely safe) and contains a number of choices for putting in apps. You will discover pacman, apt, Flatpak, Podman, and even blendOS’s personal distinctive “mix” instrument. Due to this, you may discover tons of functions to put in. You can even allow Android app help in addition to dnf (the Fedora package deal supervisor) help from throughout the System app. As a result of blendOS is immutable, the possibilities of you wrecking the OS are slim. Moreover, you’ll be able to choose a model with GNOME, KDE Plasma, Xfce, Cinnamon, Deepin, MATE, or LXQt.
For these coming from Home windows, I might advocate both KDE Plasma or the Deepin desktop. The one caveat to utilizing blendOS is that I would not advocate it for customers with little or no laptop expertise. If you already know your method round Home windows nicely sufficient (as in, you’ve got used it for a very long time and are comfy with most features of the OS), you should not have a lot hassle with blendOS. The one factor you will not discover out-of-the-box is Wine (for Home windows apps) or Steam (for video games), however you’ll be able to set up each with ease.
Editor’s be aware: This checklist initially included Wubuntu and LinuxFX. We not advocate these distributions. For extra data on why, please learn: Why I no longer recommend this Windows-like Linux distro.
