My Dell 3169 running linux Zorin replacing my iPad.

[The Point and Shoot Pro]

I set up my dell 3169 running a dual boot of win 11 and Linux Zorin OS. I am using the linux side of things to replace my ipad. I am working on getting waydroid set up here now to run all the android apps on it so I can do basically anything I could do on my ipad but with a much better typing and browsing experience.

Apple has way to much control over their OS where I cannot use quality ad blockers, so every site I visit I am bombarded with ads. Same with YouTube. Go try to watch anything on youtube on the ipad and you get 30 min ads about some amazing fat burning crap. Now, using Zorin and MS edge browser No ads, everything is clean and nice again! I just have to finish getting the apps I use on my iPad on this little system now to finish the experience.

 

[BobKnDP]

In case anyone wishes to know the specs for this 2-in-1 laptop,

Inspiron 11 3000 2-in-1 Setup and Specifications

 

[The Point and Shoot Pro]

In case anyone wishes to know the specs for this 2-in-1 laptop,

Inspiron 11 3000 2-in-1 Setup and Specifications

Thanks Bob. yes, it's an intel m3 precessor, 4gb of ram and a 960tb ssd in it. It runs on intel 515 graphics as far as I can see. There are various different versions. Either way, I am not using it for video/photo. I am using it instead of my ipad for content consumption, reading etc. I find it a better experience than my ipad for what I do.

My iPad is the 10th gen with 256gb of ram and the logitech keyboard cover. I am working on getting the play store to authorize it as a trusted device on my account so I can download and run android apps as well. It may become my navigation/entertainment system for our truck for travel.

--
Fronterra Photography Tours
The Point and Shoot Pro
One Lens, No Problem

 

[CAcreeks]

I set up my dell 3169 running a dual boot of win 11 and Linux Zorin OS.

Which windowing desktop did you select, Gnome or Xfce? I've never tried Zorin but see it ranks 11th (most visited) on Distrowatch. If Gnome, does it suck as much as on RedHat?

I am using the linux side of things to replace my ipad. I am working on getting waydroid set up here now to run all the android apps on it so I can do basically anything I could do on my ipad but with a much better typing and browsing experience.

Hope it works for you. I disliked my Samsung tablet running Android. Most of the apps were designed for small screen cellphones, and didn't look good on a large-ish screen. Although iOS might have apps that work better on a large-ish iPad screen, I'm not interested.

Apple has way to much control over their OS where I cannot use quality ad blockers, so every site I visit I am bombarded with ads.

Yeah, I feel my iPhone is more intrusive than my Android phone, regarding not only ads, but also pointless notifications from Apple.

YouTube in Firefox with uBlock Origin is an excellent experience, but I don't know how long that will last. Google will probably find a way to crapify it.

 

[The Point and Shoot Pro]

I don't remember what loader I used. I just downloaded the installer from Zorin's website.

 

[bmoag]

If Jonesing for a desktop macOS experience: you can run macOS in a virtual machine under linux or as a hackintosh.

MacOS will run reasonably fast from a USB based external drive so you don't have to complicate booting even more.

 

[The Point and Shoot Pro]

If Jonesing for a desktop macOS experience: you can run macOS in a virtual machine under linux or as a hackintosh.

MacOS will run reasonably fast from a USB based external drive so you don't have to complicate booting even more.

Yes, I like Zorin as it gives me touch capability but desktop class browsing.

 

[The Point and Shoot Pro]

I have waydroid and the Play Store working with each other now. I am slowing configuring the Waydroid part of the system to recognize the wifi of the main OS. There are a few commands I need to push through terminal to complete this.

All in all now it's a worthy replacement for my ipad. I am also getting a vehicle mount for our truck so we have full capability while mobile using the system for Nav, entertainment, weather reports, searching for hotels, restaurants stores and more. I was going to get an android unit for the truck and replace the stereo, but the dell connected to bluetooth and hotspot from our phones will do even better.

 

[The Point and Shoot Pro]

I ran the dell all afternoon on battery only to test the battery life compared to windows 11. While doing so I also looked at the system activity monitor and task manager of both.

Running windows 11 the ram, cpu and network were maxed at 100 percent usage the entire time I was using it. It was a slow, lethargic mess to try to even do simple tasks. It would do them, just balk the entire time. Battery life on w11 was around 2 to 2.5 hrs.

On Zorin OS linux, the cpu usage dropped to around 20-30 percent while doing normal tasks, ram usage when from 4 maxed out to around 1.8 to 2.3, when doing something more intensive, it would spike and use all 4gb and a bit of swap to the ssd, however most times it was settled at 1.8 ish. The crazy one is the network access. I was watching this closely as it was only spiking when I would change a web page and scrolling if I stopped doing anything on the screen the network monitor would drop to almost nothing.

This tells me that windows is sending ALOT of data back to the mothership on your behalf without you really knowing. Something we already knew but I never realized to what extent previously. Needless to say, once I get my NAS server up and running, All of our systems will be getting Linux of some flavor instead of windows and we will be cancelling our 365 subscription, besides apple plus which both of our sons use, we will be subscription free for all our computing then. It's the only one left.

Everything we need to do on linux is free to use! Liberating really!

 

[Boris22]

My old dell xps8500 from 2012? which shipped with win 8 has been running linux mint as soon as I saw the win 8 tiles. (the MS failed attempt to popularize their windows phone by imitating the phone interface on your computer). Although i have several win 11 machines in the house ,used for grandson's gaming ,wife's general surfing and my graphics apps that linux won't run, I mainly use this old dell with mint for everything else. It is what I am using right now. I did try zorin several years ago but stuck with mint for no particular reason- At the time they were xp-like and the beauty part of linux is being able easily to try different varieties/flavors from a usb drive without it being a nightmare. IMO-if you don't need specific windows apps that won't run on lnux, it is foolish to do your general computing on windows. just my $.02

 

[The Point and Shoot Pro]

The software I use can be run in Bottles as well. But in all honesty, I could move to other software packages and not have a steep learning curve.

The little dell is awesome because it's a 2 in 1 so it's like having a tablet and a decent typing experience as well.