I'm new to Linux but learn quickly, and I'm choosing a distribution for my Dell Latitude 7390. It has 16 GB of 2400 MHz RAM, an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 U-series processor, and a 512 GB Samsung NVMe SSD. Performance matters a lot because I regularly use Chrome with around 10 tabs, Brave with around 5 tabs, Discord while streaming, and Spotify at the same time for more than 13 hours a day. I'm comfortable adapting to different desktop environments. Would Ubuntu be a good choice, or should I start with Linux Mint, Zorin OS, or something else?
3 Answers
Linux Mint is a comfortable starting point, and Zorin OS is another polished option. Your laptop is not especially old or underpowered, so you don’t need an ultra-light distribution just for performance. The bigger factors will probably be browser memory usage, video streaming, and Discord screen sharing rather than the Linux distribution itself. Keeping unnecessary browser tabs and startup applications under control will help more than switching between similar distributions.
Ubuntu is perfectly usable, but some of its applications are delivered as Snap packages. Snaps are self-contained application packages that can update automatically and include many of their dependencies. They’re convenient, but some users dislike their startup behavior, disk usage, or the way updates are managed. If that doesn’t bother you, Ubuntu is still a solid choice; otherwise, Mint provides a more traditional setup while remaining beginner-friendly.
Those specifications are more than capable of handling Linux and your multitasking workload. Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Zorin OS should all run well. Mint or Zorin may feel more familiar if you’re coming from Windows, while Ubuntu has the largest beginner-focused support ecosystem. I’d create a bootable USB and test a few desktop environments without installing first. Check Wi-Fi, audio, graphics acceleration, suspend, and external displays before choosing.
Thanks! I’ll test them from a live USB first and check the hardware before installing.
I didn’t know what Snaps were, so that explanation helps. I’ll compare Ubuntu and Mint instead of assuming they work exactly the same way.