Included extras

What additional elements does each distro have that the others lack?

By default, Pop!_OS offers a recovery partition, which is a bootable copy of the installation media. The installer, when run from this environment, can detect the existing Pop!_OS installation and carry out a ‘refresh installation’ to repair any damage when the installation is damaged. In addition, standard Linux software can be run from within it because it’s a live environment.

Zorin OS has facilities for installing and running Windows programs on a fresh installation. As such, from the get-go it’s possible to right-click .exe or .msi files and select ’Install Windows Application. You can install WINE on other distros to achieve the same effect, but on Zorin OS this functionality is set up by default and integrated into the user interface and documentation.

Zorin OS also includes a custom application called Zorin Connect for connecting to mobile phones and tablets. It only works with Android phones, but the facilities are quite extensive. You start by installing the Zorin Connect app on your phone. You can then pair the phone with Zorin OS.

Once up and running, it’s possible to use your phone as a remote to control media playback and presentations on your computer. It’s also possible to display phone notifications on your desktop or vice versa. The features keep coming: there’s easy file sharing between phone and desktop, and you can even use your phone as a touchpad.

Linux Mint has all the basic features, but it doesn’t have much in the way of what you might call ‘frills’. It does come with a utility called Warpinator, created by the Mint developers for setting up quick file shares between machines.