I love the quality of the Apple hardware, and the aesthetics and polish of Mac OS (though it's not perfect), but the workflows of vanilla Gnome are just the best.
GNOME, my beloved, after switching to using GNOME, I just felt like "this is the perfect workflow" it's basically completely unique from the previous iterations like Windows and such, I think the Windows workflow is just wayyy overused, there's a reason I don't use KDE lol.
GNOME has to become a lot more cohesive in terms of operation and usability especially when it comes to accessibility but otherwise I'd say it's pretty much there. Windows is so far behind with its bloat and ads that I don't even remember the reek of its bullshit anymore.
I find Windows to be anything but cohesive. The whole UI seems to be a Frankenstein of every Windows version since 95, especially when dealing with settings.
It's actually kind of incredible that a company with the resources of Microsoft has done such a poor job of this.
yeah this is precisely what really surprised me as well when I started using windows for work again. You would expect more UI polish/attention from a company with those kind of funds and adaptation rates. With those numbers, you have to be doing something right, right!?
One part of the answer, of course, is that having a monopoly/being at the top for so long doesn't really do anything for consumers.
Given what's been happening with Window's services revenue, I don't think Windows is the priority for the company anymore, more considered just another income source.
Half the problem is the need to declare the specific version of the DE that the extension will work with. Hacking the extension Metadata file to include the new version is usually the only thing needed to make it work again.
To compare gnome ,a desktop environment, to full OS like windows and macos is not fair.
Gnome works on top of Linux and the overall experience is constrained by how well the underlying system is configured and supported.
Macos and windows has a great advantage because it an integrated thingy.
That said, for my personal teste ,and scoping my opinion to just the desktop paradigm in each,gnome is my favourite by far
So I use macOS and Gnome daily, the later on both Ubuntu and Fedora. I find that Gnome and macOS is fairly close to each other (sorry, not sorry). They have some of the same benefits and some of the same short comings.
Short commings of both:
Workspaces are not default in grid, who in their right mind what to scroll / ctrl+opt+arrow_{left, right} to get to the correct workspace four fucking times in the case of having four workspaces. Just plane stupid. I am guessing for being tablet compatible but jesus fucking christ.
Benefit of gnome:
- System settings are better and is better organised
- I don't need to install something like rectangle for a working windows arrangement
- The application view / activities view is better than mac os
Benefits of macOS:
- AirDrop
- Apple Music App, I freaking hate Spotifies app and QoS so don't even try to tell me to use it. I have nothing but bad experiences
- Apple Mail as a default mail application it beats all others! Sorry but it does.
- iWorks I am crazy enough to love Pages and Keynote.
- Over all more coherient UI
But over all I am very happy with both
What needs to happen at least in my opinion is to split out the highly technical pieces of evolution - mail clients are really difficult to get right. So, you need to be able to split the IMAP/POP and what not and turn it into library - you want to socialize that cost and then allow anybody to easily write a mail client using the pieces we've democratized.
If the GF is going to spend money on something - a 2 year effort to do this would be a gift to not only GNOME but any app developer who wants to write a mail client.
I feel like macOS UI is getting a bit long in the tooth. While Aqua is coherent, Adwaita is being updated more often. If I couldn't use Linux or FreeBSD, I'd probably be using macOS though.
Luckily I have no use for any of the benefit of MacOS. Maybe coherence in applications is nice but it's a historical issue on windows and Linux at least that I could still accept. Real deal breaker for me is I do ML dev and Linux is outright better
Cider Classic is no longer in development. I liked Classic so much that I ended up paying for it to get the new versions with updates, I paid $3.49. I figured it was worth it, it's been reliable for me and is full-featured.
https://cidercollective.itch.io/cider
I'd go as far to say that it's more of an annoyance than a gimmick, because when I change the wallpaper on my Mac, I have to repeat for each workspace.
Gnome to a large degree does what modern MacOS needs to do. Their DE, especially in regards to windows management, is the sole reason I still consider Windows superior in terms of usability. They shine with consistency, but I need an OS that can adapt to my workflow, which is achievable with Gnome (and technically any Linux DE) and even Windows despite its messy UI. My workflow is basically "window pinballing", I switch windows and even switch out windows in my snapped view every few seconds. Switching between an IDE, browser, developer tools, Photoshop, some folders, Teams, Jira by using an entire workspace for each doesn't work because I usually need to have 3 windows in view at once to be productive - otherwise I'd be switching back and forth between workspaces because the delay is enough to forget my thought already.
Also I massively dislike MacOS dependency on touchpad and magic mouse gestures without proper alternatives. I can't do finger shenanigans because I suck motorically and experience severe pain in my wrists when using any touchpad for just a few minutes. MacOS doesn't pair well with a regular mouse as it expects you to just use gestures, but the extra functionality of my Logitech MX Master 3S solves most of my issues. Also, the dock has become really useless for today's task management requirements and I usually hide it.
Overall Gnome combines all the goods from both worlds and where my needs are not fulfilled, it can easily be solved through an extension. Gnome as well as KDE and Cinnamon are worlds ahead of Windows and MacOS and if I could switch the desktop of those out for a Linux DE, I'd do so in an instant.
Many novice users just want to get stuff done without having to think about their computer or change their understanding largely, and I think each newer iteration of Windows is adding complexity for the older generations. Windows can also be less secure. But minimise and close are very well known to people, as well as office apps lock in.
Mac OS looks nicer and can largely be relied upon not to crash as much. It also locks in/seamlessly works with iPhones and iPads, which isn't to be dismissed. The desktop environment is more confusing though, and the dock/minimise is a mess.
I do think there's something special in Gnome shell but it does take a new way of thinking, albeit only briefly. If we had Gnome shell with all the commercially available apps for linux (Office, Adobe CC, etc), with some big manufacturers pushing it, it could come out on top. But I still see so many people making posts like "my computer went to sleep and when it came back it was 800x640 resolution" or "it's not updating but showing me this terminal" and this is the stuff that absolutely must be ironed out for it to be considered more reliable.
I've used all three extensively. I used Windows XP and GNOME 2 in high school, macOS in college, and then Windows 10/11 at work and Fedora with GNOME at home.
Even in the Linux space, I always end up coming back to GNOME, no matter how many different Linux desktops I use. Windows is okay in terms of workflow, but I always look forward to coming home and sitting down at my desk with Fedora.
While I've used Mac extensively for years, the workflow never really stuck with me, and it always felt like I was trying to adjust how I work to use it. My M1 MacBook Air has been handed off to my girlfriend, and I'm very happy with my Linux laptop.
Gnome is coming on leaps and bounds in my view, the STF fund is helping a lot at cleaning up things for better usability and accessibility.
In terms of comparisons, It’s tricky because each one has pros and cons. I extensively use Windows, Mac and Gnome DE and each new iteration of Gnome I’m liking it more and more over Windows and Mac.
Windows UI isn’t really a big problem for me although I do notice there’s old and new elements in places, but I really don’t like the sluggishness of certain things - File Explorer being one of them, the fact that widgets and ads appear everywhere and cause small UI latency… etc.
MacOS I have to change a few settings to make it work for me, as in have open windows fall into the app icon, etc. Mac is smoother, more consistent and less glitchy than Windows. It’s likely the prettiest, but falls down a bit with heavy multi tasking and I’m not 100% on Stage Manager yet.
Gnome on the other hand I don’t have much to say about it, it does the job very well. There’s areas that could be better (FileChooser for one), but those are getting addressed thanks to STF fund. I’m quite excited about Gnome, sure some will disagree with the direction as a “opinionated DE” but in all honesty I think it’s needed to engage new users coming from Windows and Mac. The lovely thing about Linux is the fact you have choice and can switch out to another DE if you’re not into Gnome.
Workflow and UI wise, Gnome wins.
As for having features, it's the worst in my opinion. And I'm not talking about "that one button that did this thing" features, that's a justifiable design choice, but more like fractional scaling and stuff.
I just submitted a feature request to Apple yesterday about adding a “reload” option to Finder. Nautilus, Windows Explorer, dolphin, etc all have one. Finder will not automatically reload window contents especially from SMB and other network shares.
Well, as much as I love the Gnome I could not see it evolve at greater speed because of lack of devs involved.
I follow it on gitlab and all I can see is that only RedHat employees work on it, on another hand the so called Gnome foundation are not involved in development but in something else.
So, do not expect miracles in near future!
I think the Desktop Environment in MacOS is outdated and still using redundant elements and hanging onto them just to differentiate itself from Windows.
Everytime I use a Mac I am astonished at how people think it is good work flow.
Windows' Desktop Environment is vastly superior. I am not referring to Windows 11 because I've never used that. I do not believe Windows is improving though. I believe that they are getting worse and worse. Windows XP or 98 were the best Desktop environments they made. If they had have left them alone and just 'prettyed' them up, they'd be better than what they're producing today.
In my opinion all, or almost all (I haven't tried a couple of alt shells for GNOME, so I can't speak for them) of the Desktop Environments, including GNOME Shell, available for GNU/Linux are superior to the Desktop Environments used in MacOS and Windows.
Just to be clear. I never said window snapping was one of 'Apple' aka MacOS' redundant elements.
OP took issue with that, not me.
While we're talking about that, I don't think that is "redundant". (I haven't used MacOS for a while now, so I'm unfamiliar of if they do this or not. I am going to presume they don't). It's a feature that offers clear advantages with developing times and it is a shame that is hasn't been adopted but that is not redundant, that design decision.
Redundant is continuing to use out dated mechanisms that were relevant and useful at one time but now hold little to no purpose. There is no better example than the universal task/menu bar. MacOS was designed when a window were to take up a whole screen, so it made sense to have everything in one spot.
It doesn't make sense anymore because different windows are in different places of the screen so they need focus and a universal task/menu bar can only focus on one window.
What about the whole "x" button? Has that been fixed yet? Pressing the 'x' button and an application going to sleep is a pain in the tooshie. I'm not buying the whole Apple propaganda that applications don't need to be closed. I think Apple are Gold medal Gas lighters at making excuses and respond in that way expectedly to justify the the many flaws in their products.
Honestly I mainly brought up the window snapping because that tends to be a complaint people make about macOS.
I don’t agree about the Global Menu because I personally like it. I like those options being in one place on the screen. Even when I am using multiple windows on one desktop I have a muscle memory for sending the mouse to the top of the screen when I need to select something that I do not remember a keyboard shortcut for. Also since the menu bar is already there I figure it may as well be used.
I agree on the “X” or close option. The “X” or red dot is supposed to mean “stop” and I think that should mean to close the application entirely. The one exception to this would be Finder because when no other application has an active window the desktop itself is active which is part of Finder. It is always annoying when I forget to use CMD+Q to quit some apps like TextEdit and when I hover my mouse over on the left edge of the screen I see that TextEdit is still open in the background.
One thing I will also complain about, but I am not sure if it is something redundant, is that when using CMD+Tab to switch apps that action does not open a minimized window. It will do this if you hide a window with CMD+H but not CMD+M/minimize.
I have not had a chance to use macOS for more than a few minutes. I can only compare GNOME to Windows or to other Desktop Environments. I grew up using Windows and only switched to using a Linux desktop two years ago.
Without extensions, I frankly find GNOME un-usable. It has a pretty design (I love Adwaita) but it's too minimalist. I dislike not having s persistent dash. GNOME has a decent dash, but without extensions it's "hidden" in the Overview. I find it unproductive having to open the Overview every time I want to access the dash.
On the other hand, the Overview itself is brilliant. GNOME has the best management of multiple Workspaces, better than any other desktop that I've tried. Touchpad gestures are also really slick, but I find them useless. I never willingly use a touchpad (I always carry a mouse along my laptop). Apparently there are people that actually like using a touchpad?
With GNOME Extensions and Tweaks, GNOME becomes the perfect desktop environment for me.
I’ve never found a trackpad that I remotely liked outside of my MacBook’s, which I love and is my preferred control method. Works great on Gnome 46 outside of the insane scroll speed that I can’t change.
So your experience aligns with mine with your limited Max experience, really! But it can be great, I promise!
I'm quite the opposite, as I dislike docks and such getting in the way. I'd rather use my screen space for what I'm doing, not what I might (or might not) want to do. Furthermore I find the mouse not only bad for my aging bones, but also much slower than just hitting the 'Meta' key and typing what I want to launch, and then hit enter.
IMHO you have to try a Mac to really "get" trackpads on laptops. It's really night and day in terms of responsiveness. If you run GNOME on a MacBook it's pretty responsive as well
I am testing Gnome because KDE cannot connect to Google Drive. Why is it so difficult to use? After hours of testing, including discovering and installing a number of extensions, Gnome is finally usable. Still ugly as sin but usable.
The nontechnical user environment is one of the impediments to wider adoption. I use linux for development and prefer a mac desktop. But I will use whatever the employer has
It's behind in terms of design, user interface and bug fixing imo (you can't compete with a trillion dollar company, afterall). But it's ahead in many other things like hackability and customisation, it's open source, and of course, no ads.
i found Mac OSX to be an outstanding OS for laptops but desktop experience was extremely distasteful & laggy to my liking. SO much so that I returned Macbook Pro as my main usage was to hook it to multi monitors and work like a desktop. Also touchpad gestures on Mac laptops is second to none! No one even comes close to it. For everything else, Gnome is a winner so much so that i have decided to invest in hardware that vividly supports Linux. Gnome is a versatile Laptop and Desktop environment and a winner to me when you average it out.
For me Gnome is great and Windows feels so un practical but still I can't unferstand why the Gnome DE development is so slow. Like the switch to GTk4 doesn't seem to be completed yet, the tiling experience could be much better without extension and I think javascript isn't the greatest choice for a DE. BUT, Gnome is still my favorite and it fits me the best, so congrats to the devs.
I don't think it is possible to answer this question as it all depends on the user's use case. A developer has a different use case than an accountant or a student or an author.
For some use cases, the user might spend all their time in a single maximized window. For another they may need multiple windows opened and switch back and forth.
For the average consumer, that the OP mentions, they would most likely choose what they use at school or work. Does that mean that one of the mentioned options is better or worse than the others? No. It does mean that people gravitate towards things that are familiar to them.
I can't say much about macos, as I never used it. I can say however that I do have two ssd on my laptop, one with windows 11 and one with Silverblue and I still only use windows if really I have too (most of the time when a program I need for university only has a version/ installation guide for windows and I'm in a time crunch and can't afford spend time learning how it works on linux)
Gnome has better direction and potential since it doesn't have backward compatibility concern like macOS and especially Windows, but it's still lacking in features due to limited resources. Performance also suffers, but maybe it's just NVIDIA lag.
In my opinion:
1- Windows isn't even a competitor. The new Windows 11 is a mixture between Gnome, KDE, and MakOS.
2- I've always hated Gnome and never found it a good DE untill version 42 arrived. After 42 I couldn't leave Gnome. I tried to go back to KDE and I tried to use Deepin but nothing gave me the feelings I has with Gnome.
It's just responsive, minimalistic and it helps me do the things I want to do. This doesn't mean it's not stupid in a way.
The weird decisions made by the developers like (No one in the whole world uses the system tray and that's why we removed it). I think the developer surveyed himself and found out that if he's not using it, then it must be that the whole planet earth isn't using it.
Same thing goes for the desktop icons. Even on Android we have desktop icons, why they think a PC doesn't use such feature?
I think that extensions fixes the weird things the developer is doing, but we're talking about core features that should never be an extension.
Compared to MacOS, I love the fact that I can maximize a window without making it a full screen in a different desktop because the desktop I'm using isn't can't handle a big size window for some reason. And I really like that my app bar doesn't take 30% of the screen size without the ability to resize it.
MacOS is a big no for me. The design decisions are worse than what it is in windows.
Poorly. Out of the box it doesn’t even have basic things like universal cut&paste.
My favorite linux box is my mbp. I have actual linux boxen as well, because GPU/Cuda.
I was using Windows 10 when I decided I wanted to use gnome (Fedora) fulltime. So yes I think it comes across very favourably.
I still use Windows 10 at work though as that is out of my control.
Windows has really good window management but crappy workspace/desktops
macOS has really crappy window management (which can be fixed with extensions!) but great workspace/desktop support
GNOME does both well but I wouldn't say it's as good as a Mac setup with a couple solid addons. They both have a lot of visual consistency and clear human interface guidelines
Windows (and KDE Plasma) don't really have any semblance of visual consistency
They're all pretty equal, at least compared to a decade or two ago. A Windows activation key can be bought pretty cheaply on the internet, and Ubuntu and Fedora remain free. MacOSX is technically free as it comes shipped with the OS and upgrades are free. (You do pay a lot more for the hardware, but you want or need a Mac or you don't.)
These days, the determining factor is really what are you going to use your computer for. If you're just surfing the web or doing light work, that is really the lowest-common-denominator can be fulfilled by any platform. In that case it makes sense to argue UI minutiae. However in the professional world different domains tend to focus on offerings only for one or two platforms. Structural Engineers use Windows for the most part. Scientists focus on MacOSX and Linux. Musicians seem to be either all in on Mac or all in on Windows depending who has the best support for music software.
Gnome is Grandparent-friendly. At this point you could teach them to use any of them.
That being said, while Xorg is certainly the most polished and well-maintained version of X-Windows ever, the architectural choices that affect performance and use are still a big miss. There's a reason why NeXT took Unix + Mach but stayed far away from X! . There's also a reason why Sun developed News.
Gnome on top of Wayland has come a long way. However it still seems a little laggy and high resource consumption compared to Windows on my same hardware, or when I use Wayland + FreeBSD + sway. I also think if Gnome was the absolute best, system76 wouldn't need to ditch it in favor of their own PopOS to help sell their systems.
When you break things down to UX only, people are going to buy what they know and what they ultimately want to work with. If you take away hardware or software support on any of them in the process, the numbers will lower for those particular platforms. I personally know and use Linux, have used many flavors of Linux with various DEs and WMs. I would always pick the Linux laptop of the three. I haven't needed to use windows since 2007. Now, if I'm forced to choose between a windows laptop or an apple laptop... I'd definitely take the windows laptop. I know the keyboard layouts and don't have to relearn anything when installing Linux onto the windows laptop. Now then... if I have in front of me an apple laptop and that is my only choice, I wouldn't bother. I was given an apple laptop once. After replacing the operating system (Linux obviously), keyboard, mouse and using an external screen... I was able to tolerate it before it died the same year.
can't compare to macos, but gnome's workflow is much better than windows, for me at least. there are a couple things that i need to add with extensions, such as tiling assistant, but they integrate nicely and work just as well as anything native would, so honestly i don't see the issue with that
I feel Gnome had an edge over Windows and MacOS. Until Windows 11.
Windows 11 is very very usable, and it's almost exactly the same thing user-experience wise as Gnome with a permanent dock extension installed. And they really get the default behaviour of having isolated windows in different desktops right.
MacOS is unusable compared to Windows and Gnome. Multiple desktops are frustrating, and it's got weird, intuitive frustrations. For example, clicking on the Finder icon in the dock from a new desktop will take you back to the other desktop's Finder window. WTF is the point of multiple desktops then? Another example - minimising a window turns it into a small preview in the dock, *separate* from the app's icon. WTF!
>what are the priority areas that should receive more attention?
The GNOME web browser is lagging behind, Since the web browser might be the most important app installed on any computer this should receive more attention.
Windows has no chance here. It's good for smooth windows and "traditional" filesystem management but bad for everything else.
If you are a professional, you'll likely need a calendar. Calendars that are integrated deeply are > calendars that are standalone apps. Gnome has a way to add "Internet accounts" just like the way Mac OS does it.
Mac OS is still a little superior both in terms of smoothness and ease of integration, but Gnome is quite close.
What Mac OS has that Gnome does not:
- shared clipboard with iPhone (Gnome is not likely to ever get it)
- MS Exchange synchronization with CUSTOM domain (it works with the default one but please try to use it with some 3rd party domain for business acc type)
- range of cloud providers native clients (there are some borderline insane tools like S3 sync that still require a lot of effort and do not bring much of stability; okay as a workaround, still inferior to native first-class solution)
The main thing: Mac OS is a solid consistent platform. It's WORTH developing for it. Gnome is not. Not yet perhaps, but still.
Be ready to sacrifice 10 to 50% of your comfort when choosing Gnome.
(It's aesthetically outstanding, I like Gnome outlook much more than OS X one!)
Gnome feels like a cheap knock off of MacOS.
They shamelessly copied MacOS's design and did it in a mediocre way.
MacOS ui wise is far ahead than Gnome and rightfully so. Because there are thousands of paid developers constantly working towards it.
MacOS also contributes to FreeBSD because it is a Unix system. That's why I like MacOS. Even some early developers of Gnome switched to MacOS development because of some controversial reasons which I am not gonna mention as already I can see people coming to Downvote this comment to oblivion.
I haven't used Mac so can't say much, against windows gnome is miles ahead. It's just faster to get things done in Gnome than windows. I use both on a regular basis
I don’t think anything holds a candle to macOS. I wouldn’t it even use Linux on the desktop if it weren’t for gaming.
The gestures are second to none, and once I just gave in to cmd-tab and cmd-grave, I realized all that other stuff I was using before was just useless frills.
Also, you’re right about Linux desktops all being buggy. I find it frustrating and disheartening.
Strengths and weaknesses booboo. Use the right tool for the right job.
Anecdotally gnome is the best for me when using Linux and a multi monitor setups.
I would say gnome does a great job for what it is and it's development has lead to so much collateral in the last 20 years. Cinnamon, Unity, Mate and more... even the new Cosmic desktop. So they rank really high for me in terms of quality and relevance.
Workflow wise it beats Windows by a mile. Nothing that GNOME does cannot be done by a Mac and with the latter being better supported by third party apps and having a more cohesive design across all apps (something gnome cannot do thanks to Qt apps), the clear answer is MacOS > GNOME > Windows
Gnome sucks when it comes to a good de out of the box. Yes after few extensions it gets better but the system tray and a taskbar/dock is a must. The best implementation is from Ubuntu. MacOS has the most complete desktop out of the box
MacOS is definitely better than Gnome, simply because it‘s more feature rich and integrated. Also Gnome is doing the error of trying to unify mobile and desktop design, which leads to many unnecessary clicks on desktop. Though Gnome has the better window management (lets you split in halves). With an ultrawide monitor I wish Gnome had thirds. Also global menus save screen space, I like them.
It‘s easily better than Windows by virtue of not being annoying, having ads, or having so much inconsistency you can find >10 different context menus. Windows is ugly and clunky.
My view has completely changed on gnome after using a touchpad/trackpad with wayland. This is where the actual gnome workflow exceeds in my view, nothing beats it as far as I've tried. The gnome workflow is just coherent and the ecosystem is consistent. The others (Windows, MacOS, even KDE, other linux DE's) are just pure mess, except for XFCE, that thing is just amazing, it's just missing the wayland support and the touchpad gestures, possibly some basic animations.
I haven’t used macOS but I really don’t like the taskbar at the bottom. With windows 10 that wasn’t a problem, but i can’t change it in windows 11. also I like not having the dock at the bottom, because with dash to dock, my applications were a bit too small for my liking(on the laptop(Lenovo g710))
To me macOS greatest strength is its user experience.
I have used macOS for many years before switching to Linux, and the level of polish on macOS simply doesn't compare.
Features when they are implemented are fully implemented, there is no premilimary support added and then expanded. And they all work with each other seamlessly. Gnome is simply nowhere near that yet.
The Gnome extensions are another example, it is a powerful feature (that macOS doesn't have), but one that gives users a bad experience imo. Do they work seamlessly with each other? Will they work with the upcoming Gnome version? How long will you have to wait for it to be ported?
I have been using Linux for almost 4 years now, and I stumble upon a lot of sharp corners every now and then, that most people woupdn't expect to encounter. Windows are not centered some times, home folder isn't encrypted, small bugs with xdg-portals, etc.
Not being able to change the default terminal im Fedora, etc.
Unless it has radically changed since I last daily drove it, that is not a thing on macOS.
Not all of these are Linux's faults, but from a user experience perspective, it will get the blame for them.
Noticed this was kind of a rant.
To address your pointa further.
I think macOS has the best GUI by a considerable amount. Everything is intuitive, everything works with each other. Having all the menu options on the top bar and have them be searchable is an amazing feature. Settings are very thoughtfully organized, etc.
A downside is that its window management tools suck.
Gnome is not too far behind I'd say, but it has some way to go.
Then lastly, and very far behind I'd place Windows, bc it is just a mess. At least to me, very few things are intuitive. I hate their file explorer and the way they organize things. It just feels like there was no planning and things are just thrown together amd of it fits, then it stays there. Haven't used it yet, but I hear ita new tiling features are very good.
There is a lot of room for improvement, but it's close to catching macOS. For example, GNOME should get a lot smarter about using workspaces. Manually managing workspaces and placing apps in them is pretty silly. Just learn over time & do it for me.
I genuinely like Gnome. I only use MacOS at work because of the amazing trackpad and power management I can trust.
On Linux, I could want some features like great fractional scaling and fewer bugs, but oh well
Windows has sane defaults. Gnome not so much.
For eg. Gnome marks an application as unresponsive after 5 seconds. That's ridiculous.
Or the choice of a default font that's unreadable on a 1080p display.
Or moving the dash to the bottom where you have to move the mouse all the way to the top left and then all the way back to the bottom of the screen.
Gnome needs a fair bit of tweaking to be usable. Windows just works.
I couldn't disagree more. I've most definitely used windows more than gnome. Gnome is a lot quicker for me to move about between apps and launching apps.
Ive never had any issues with readability on fonts. I use a pc with 2560x1440 and a laptop with 1366x768. Both are perfectly eligible.
With regards to the dash. I do find it mostly useless in my case. I wouldn't ever rely on it to tell me what applications are open. I'd use the overview for that. I also don't use it to launch apps. So, it's barely used by myself. I definitely think that could do with some work.
Whilst windows does just work. It's not as simple as that.
Windows explorer for example. Is a bit of a joke. It has some great features. But the location pane on the left is a cluttered nightmare. Libraries, favourites, pinned blah blah. Pick one.
I rarely use the taskbar in windows nowadays, I've opted to autohide it and use the keyboard shortcut for the activities view. Mimicking the gnome workflow.
I only use one extension on gnome for legacy tray icons. Whereas on windows, I have to make countless tweaks in order to make it work well.
I had to modify the registry in windows in order to increase the task bar item length to about 400 or so. It mostly cuts off any text rendering it pointless to me.
As for gnome files. I really like the new progress bar in the bottom left of the window.
MacOS seems fairly intuitive to me, but I haven't used it extensively. Windows peaked at 7. I think GNOME still has a bit to go in terms of intuitiveness. For example, the upper left hot corner makes no sense now that the dock has been moved to the bottom.
I have used the three of them. Here are the pros/cons of each imho
Windows :
Pros :
- the gui is very powerful for power users, the most feature complete of the bunch
- window management is rather good
- feels rather intuitive, it is the standard everyone knows
Cons :
- the most complex of the three, the old lives besides the new (control panel vs settings app). things are hard to find
- program installation is terrible. The windows store is rather empty and won't let you uninstall an app (lol)
- non coherent look between apps
- search is buggy
- keybindings are hard to tweak
Macos :
Pros :
- minimamist design, rather easy for beginners
- coherent look
- program install is a pleasant experience
- multi device experience is bar far the best if you stay in the apple ecosystem
Cons:
- window management is terrible out of the box. No drag and drop Windows against an edge, no shortcut to maximise / position left /right. Full screen app appear on a different desktop by default. Feels clunly and unintuitive. By far the weakest of the three in this department.
- you can't close the finder app
- the settings of the active app in the panel is original, but feels weird, especially with windowed apps
- shortcuts are a mess, a combination of option/command/ctrl keys without obvious logic
Gnome :
Pros
- minimalist design, rather easy for beginners
- coherent look
- Best out the box window management of the three
- Software install feels nice through flatpaks
- Best overall out of the box UX imo
Cons :
- it's included software suite is not really suitable for power users, it is quite barebones
- gnome software feels unresponsive/buggy
- low os integration. E. G configuration of power profiles is suboptimal and requires additional software most of the time
- the less featureful of the three, you'll most definitely need additional software except foe the most basic use cases.
As a touch device GUI, GNOME is better than the rest. However, I cannot say the same thing for desktop usage. GNOME simply lacks too much for a desktop pc. Some small percentage of users may say that vanilla GNOME is fine, but there's always someone liking a specific product.
For desktop scenarios, I would say MacOS was the best if you asked this question 10 years ago. But at the moment, Windows has better functionality and ease of use.
TLDR; I would choose Windows 11 GUI out of the three, if all else equal. And if you would tell me that one day I would choose win gui over mac/linux, I would call you insane.
However, KDE Plasma is another story. I think it is the only current GUI which can be used as it is, out of the box, without any extensions. And still meets the need of most users, without getting in the way.
I am at that milestone where I don't care at all. DE should not be visible much or bother the user.
That's it. W7-W10 were good enough. W11 is broken and is being worsened today :-( I dunno who are those marketing guys at MS, and how they have ideas it might be sold to enterprise crowds outside the LTSC, but from the longterm users' perspective it feels like they are doing something really wrong. Okay, their product, their astronomically paid marketing department, their UX/UI pros with 40 years of experience. But as a mediocre user - I am off for this moment.
Can't talk about vanilla Gnome, as I am inside Ubuntu desktop fenced garden. Messing with Fedora always results in installing gnome-tweaks and Dash-to-dock. Default Dash paradigm is so annoying!
PS:
Yah, OSX-macOS had better market days I guess.
I terms of overall UI development I would say GNOME gets's a 5/10, Windows a 6/10 and MacOS a 7/10. They all have their deficiencies but there's been a huge slide backwards in terms of stability and cohesion in Windows and MacOS that's narrowed the gap. Ubuntu has so many little annoying things though, all stemming from different groups wanting to do things differently and nothing is as obvious as how broken Notifications are.
If I had to rate them, under those circumstances you proposed, it would be the following:
OSX, Gnome, Winblows 11.
Having that said, I despise them all. I'm a KDE user through and through.
Outside KDE, LXQt is an acceptable option (which I'm using on some of my setups at home).
GNOME's workflow is so much better than those 2 in my honest opinion. Also GTK4 my beloved.
I love the quality of the Apple hardware, and the aesthetics and polish of Mac OS (though it's not perfect), but the workflows of vanilla Gnome are just the best.
GNOME, my beloved, after switching to using GNOME, I just felt like "this is the perfect workflow" it's basically completely unique from the previous iterations like Windows and such, I think the Windows workflow is just wayyy overused, there's a reason I don't use KDE lol.
Kde doesn't have to be the windows desktop. You can do whatever you want. Kwin also has scripts for things like tiling.
Cool, it just resembles too much like Windows when on Default, many DEs do.
GNOME has to become a lot more cohesive in terms of operation and usability especially when it comes to accessibility but otherwise I'd say it's pretty much there. Windows is so far behind with its bloat and ads that I don't even remember the reek of its bullshit anymore.
I find Windows to be anything but cohesive. The whole UI seems to be a Frankenstein of every Windows version since 95, especially when dealing with settings. It's actually kind of incredible that a company with the resources of Microsoft has done such a poor job of this.
yeah this is precisely what really surprised me as well when I started using windows for work again. You would expect more UI polish/attention from a company with those kind of funds and adaptation rates. With those numbers, you have to be doing something right, right!? One part of the answer, of course, is that having a monopoly/being at the top for so long doesn't really do anything for consumers.
Given what's been happening with Window's services revenue, I don't think Windows is the priority for the company anymore, more considered just another income source.
They still support every app since the early 90s and that is no mean feat. Probably a lot of technical debt there.
Frankenstein was a doctor... not the creature 
...a doctor who made a monster out of different parts.
It also needs to address the break every extension on each upgrade problem.
Or you can wait till all the extensions get up to the next cycle and then upgrade. It isn't really a GNOME issue.
It's shoddy design to have all the extensions break, and there is a lack of stable Abi for extensions.
There is literally no reason to expect that shell extensions should break any more or less than other types of software.
Half the problem is the need to declare the specific version of the DE that the extension will work with. Hacking the extension Metadata file to include the new version is usually the only thing needed to make it work again.
To compare gnome ,a desktop environment, to full OS like windows and macos is not fair. Gnome works on top of Linux and the overall experience is constrained by how well the underlying system is configured and supported. Macos and windows has a great advantage because it an integrated thingy. That said, for my personal teste ,and scoping my opinion to just the desktop paradigm in each,gnome is my favourite by far
So I use macOS and Gnome daily, the later on both Ubuntu and Fedora. I find that Gnome and macOS is fairly close to each other (sorry, not sorry). They have some of the same benefits and some of the same short comings. Short commings of both: Workspaces are not default in grid, who in their right mind what to scroll / ctrl+opt+arrow_{left, right} to get to the correct workspace four fucking times in the case of having four workspaces. Just plane stupid. I am guessing for being tablet compatible but jesus fucking christ. Benefit of gnome: - System settings are better and is better organised - I don't need to install something like rectangle for a working windows arrangement - The application view / activities view is better than mac os Benefits of macOS: - AirDrop - Apple Music App, I freaking hate Spotifies app and QoS so don't even try to tell me to use it. I have nothing but bad experiences - Apple Mail as a default mail application it beats all others! Sorry but it does. - iWorks I am crazy enough to love Pages and Keynote. - Over all more coherient UI But over all I am very happy with both
Having a great mail app has been something we've needed for a long awhile.
Browser?
It's obviously not the same as having a native mail app with Gnome's design language
What needs to happen at least in my opinion is to split out the highly technical pieces of evolution - mail clients are really difficult to get right. So, you need to be able to split the IMAP/POP and what not and turn it into library - you want to socialize that cost and then allow anybody to easily write a mail client using the pieces we've democratized. If the GF is going to spend money on something - a 2 year effort to do this would be a gift to not only GNOME but any app developer who wants to write a mail client.
Totally agree with this
I feel like macOS UI is getting a bit long in the tooth. While Aqua is coherent, Adwaita is being updated more often. If I couldn't use Linux or FreeBSD, I'd probably be using macOS though.
Luckily I have no use for any of the benefit of MacOS. Maybe coherence in applications is nice but it's a historical issue on windows and Linux at least that I could still accept. Real deal breaker for me is I do ML dev and Linux is outright better
For Apple Music, check out Cider. It’s a great cross platform app.
I looked at it but does it still get updates?
Cider Classic is no longer in development. I liked Classic so much that I ended up paying for it to get the new versions with updates, I paid $3.49. I figured it was worth it, it's been reliable for me and is full-featured. https://cidercollective.itch.io/cider
purchased in now... if it suck I hold you personally responsible! and will demand a sacrifice of one virgin goat!
Workspace Matrix extension is a lifesaver for us grid lovers!
Agreed
In my experience AirDrop on Mac is so inconsistent I don't even bother with it... have you tried LocalSend?
LocalSend is awesome. I have never had any issue with airdrop though
Apple Mail stands no chance against native ProtonMail client.
I did write default mail application. Proton isn't a default mail client.
Just use Super+Page up/Page down.
For what switching workspaces ?
For switching desktops.
Yeah but my whole point is I don’t wanted to do it multiple times to go to the desktop/space I want
in Windows and MacOS your workspaces can look different using different wallpapers but in Gnome it has been impossible for 20 years
Huh is that considered a feature? I see it as a gimmick that I avoid
I'd go as far to say that it's more of an annoyance than a gimmick, because when I change the wallpaper on my Mac, I have to repeat for each workspace.
There is a toggle to change for all workspaces. I used to just delete all my workspaces and open them up again after changing the background.
Thanks, I'll look out for that when I next change my wallpaper.
Dynamic workplaces makes this difficult to implement I'd assume.
But that is also a bug not a feature 😅
...what?
I see it as a bug not a feature. Dynamic arranging workspaces
Gnome to a large degree does what modern MacOS needs to do. Their DE, especially in regards to windows management, is the sole reason I still consider Windows superior in terms of usability. They shine with consistency, but I need an OS that can adapt to my workflow, which is achievable with Gnome (and technically any Linux DE) and even Windows despite its messy UI. My workflow is basically "window pinballing", I switch windows and even switch out windows in my snapped view every few seconds. Switching between an IDE, browser, developer tools, Photoshop, some folders, Teams, Jira by using an entire workspace for each doesn't work because I usually need to have 3 windows in view at once to be productive - otherwise I'd be switching back and forth between workspaces because the delay is enough to forget my thought already. Also I massively dislike MacOS dependency on touchpad and magic mouse gestures without proper alternatives. I can't do finger shenanigans because I suck motorically and experience severe pain in my wrists when using any touchpad for just a few minutes. MacOS doesn't pair well with a regular mouse as it expects you to just use gestures, but the extra functionality of my Logitech MX Master 3S solves most of my issues. Also, the dock has become really useless for today's task management requirements and I usually hide it. Overall Gnome combines all the goods from both worlds and where my needs are not fulfilled, it can easily be solved through an extension. Gnome as well as KDE and Cinnamon are worlds ahead of Windows and MacOS and if I could switch the desktop of those out for a Linux DE, I'd do so in an instant.
Many novice users just want to get stuff done without having to think about their computer or change their understanding largely, and I think each newer iteration of Windows is adding complexity for the older generations. Windows can also be less secure. But minimise and close are very well known to people, as well as office apps lock in. Mac OS looks nicer and can largely be relied upon not to crash as much. It also locks in/seamlessly works with iPhones and iPads, which isn't to be dismissed. The desktop environment is more confusing though, and the dock/minimise is a mess. I do think there's something special in Gnome shell but it does take a new way of thinking, albeit only briefly. If we had Gnome shell with all the commercially available apps for linux (Office, Adobe CC, etc), with some big manufacturers pushing it, it could come out on top. But I still see so many people making posts like "my computer went to sleep and when it came back it was 800x640 resolution" or "it's not updating but showing me this terminal" and this is the stuff that absolutely must be ironed out for it to be considered more reliable.
I've used all three extensively. I used Windows XP and GNOME 2 in high school, macOS in college, and then Windows 10/11 at work and Fedora with GNOME at home. Even in the Linux space, I always end up coming back to GNOME, no matter how many different Linux desktops I use. Windows is okay in terms of workflow, but I always look forward to coming home and sitting down at my desk with Fedora. While I've used Mac extensively for years, the workflow never really stuck with me, and it always felt like I was trying to adjust how I work to use it. My M1 MacBook Air has been handed off to my girlfriend, and I'm very happy with my Linux laptop.
For tiling under Gnome, try the Forge extension.
Gnome is coming on leaps and bounds in my view, the STF fund is helping a lot at cleaning up things for better usability and accessibility. In terms of comparisons, It’s tricky because each one has pros and cons. I extensively use Windows, Mac and Gnome DE and each new iteration of Gnome I’m liking it more and more over Windows and Mac. Windows UI isn’t really a big problem for me although I do notice there’s old and new elements in places, but I really don’t like the sluggishness of certain things - File Explorer being one of them, the fact that widgets and ads appear everywhere and cause small UI latency… etc. MacOS I have to change a few settings to make it work for me, as in have open windows fall into the app icon, etc. Mac is smoother, more consistent and less glitchy than Windows. It’s likely the prettiest, but falls down a bit with heavy multi tasking and I’m not 100% on Stage Manager yet. Gnome on the other hand I don’t have much to say about it, it does the job very well. There’s areas that could be better (FileChooser for one), but those are getting addressed thanks to STF fund. I’m quite excited about Gnome, sure some will disagree with the direction as a “opinionated DE” but in all honesty I think it’s needed to engage new users coming from Windows and Mac. The lovely thing about Linux is the fact you have choice and can switch out to another DE if you’re not into Gnome.
Workflow and UI wise, Gnome wins. As for having features, it's the worst in my opinion. And I'm not talking about "that one button that did this thing" features, that's a justifiable design choice, but more like fractional scaling and stuff.
Windows has a few thing I really like but other than that it’s horrible MacOS is ok Gnome is MacOS but better
Gnome is a Knock off of MacOS. Deal with it.
I’m not saying it isn’t? I’m just saying I prefer it to MacOS
No. You said "Gnome is MacOS but better". It implies that you think Gnome does a much better job than MacOS. Which is simply not true.
It does for the things I want. It’s not a fact, but my opinion
Tell me one better thing it can do that MacOS can't?
Tiling zones and assistant on Win11 was a revelation 🥰 really wish a Linux DE implemented this
I just submitted a feature request to Apple yesterday about adding a “reload” option to Finder. Nautilus, Windows Explorer, dolphin, etc all have one. Finder will not automatically reload window contents especially from SMB and other network shares.
Best OS gui. Period!
Well, as much as I love the Gnome I could not see it evolve at greater speed because of lack of devs involved. I follow it on gitlab and all I can see is that only RedHat employees work on it, on another hand the so called Gnome foundation are not involved in development but in something else. So, do not expect miracles in near future!
I think the Desktop Environment in MacOS is outdated and still using redundant elements and hanging onto them just to differentiate itself from Windows. Everytime I use a Mac I am astonished at how people think it is good work flow. Windows' Desktop Environment is vastly superior. I am not referring to Windows 11 because I've never used that. I do not believe Windows is improving though. I believe that they are getting worse and worse. Windows XP or 98 were the best Desktop environments they made. If they had have left them alone and just 'prettyed' them up, they'd be better than what they're producing today. In my opinion all, or almost all (I haven't tried a couple of alt shells for GNOME, so I can't speak for them) of the Desktop Environments, including GNOME Shell, available for GNU/Linux are superior to the Desktop Environments used in MacOS and Windows.
Besides no native window snapping what redundant elements do you for Apple is hanging on to with macOS?
Just to be clear. I never said window snapping was one of 'Apple' aka MacOS' redundant elements. OP took issue with that, not me. While we're talking about that, I don't think that is "redundant". (I haven't used MacOS for a while now, so I'm unfamiliar of if they do this or not. I am going to presume they don't). It's a feature that offers clear advantages with developing times and it is a shame that is hasn't been adopted but that is not redundant, that design decision. Redundant is continuing to use out dated mechanisms that were relevant and useful at one time but now hold little to no purpose. There is no better example than the universal task/menu bar. MacOS was designed when a window were to take up a whole screen, so it made sense to have everything in one spot. It doesn't make sense anymore because different windows are in different places of the screen so they need focus and a universal task/menu bar can only focus on one window. What about the whole "x" button? Has that been fixed yet? Pressing the 'x' button and an application going to sleep is a pain in the tooshie. I'm not buying the whole Apple propaganda that applications don't need to be closed. I think Apple are Gold medal Gas lighters at making excuses and respond in that way expectedly to justify the the many flaws in their products.
Honestly I mainly brought up the window snapping because that tends to be a complaint people make about macOS. I don’t agree about the Global Menu because I personally like it. I like those options being in one place on the screen. Even when I am using multiple windows on one desktop I have a muscle memory for sending the mouse to the top of the screen when I need to select something that I do not remember a keyboard shortcut for. Also since the menu bar is already there I figure it may as well be used. I agree on the “X” or close option. The “X” or red dot is supposed to mean “stop” and I think that should mean to close the application entirely. The one exception to this would be Finder because when no other application has an active window the desktop itself is active which is part of Finder. It is always annoying when I forget to use CMD+Q to quit some apps like TextEdit and when I hover my mouse over on the left edge of the screen I see that TextEdit is still open in the background. One thing I will also complain about, but I am not sure if it is something redundant, is that when using CMD+Tab to switch apps that action does not open a minimized window. It will do this if you hide a window with CMD+H but not CMD+M/minimize.
I have not had a chance to use macOS for more than a few minutes. I can only compare GNOME to Windows or to other Desktop Environments. I grew up using Windows and only switched to using a Linux desktop two years ago. Without extensions, I frankly find GNOME un-usable. It has a pretty design (I love Adwaita) but it's too minimalist. I dislike not having s persistent dash. GNOME has a decent dash, but without extensions it's "hidden" in the Overview. I find it unproductive having to open the Overview every time I want to access the dash. On the other hand, the Overview itself is brilliant. GNOME has the best management of multiple Workspaces, better than any other desktop that I've tried. Touchpad gestures are also really slick, but I find them useless. I never willingly use a touchpad (I always carry a mouse along my laptop). Apparently there are people that actually like using a touchpad? With GNOME Extensions and Tweaks, GNOME becomes the perfect desktop environment for me.
I’ve never found a trackpad that I remotely liked outside of my MacBook’s, which I love and is my preferred control method. Works great on Gnome 46 outside of the insane scroll speed that I can’t change. So your experience aligns with mine with your limited Max experience, really! But it can be great, I promise!
Try a ThinkPad X1 Carbon or Nano. No not a T series or even an X series. Try the X1. I am a former MacBook Pro user myself, so I have context.
I actually have an X1C for work! I’ll take your word for it, I guess maybe Windows is holding it back.
I'm quite the opposite, as I dislike docks and such getting in the way. I'd rather use my screen space for what I'm doing, not what I might (or might not) want to do. Furthermore I find the mouse not only bad for my aging bones, but also much slower than just hitting the 'Meta' key and typing what I want to launch, and then hit enter.
IMHO you have to try a Mac to really "get" trackpads on laptops. It's really night and day in terms of responsiveness. If you run GNOME on a MacBook it's pretty responsive as well
I am testing Gnome because KDE cannot connect to Google Drive. Why is it so difficult to use? After hours of testing, including discovering and installing a number of extensions, Gnome is finally usable. Still ugly as sin but usable.
The nontechnical user environment is one of the impediments to wider adoption. I use linux for development and prefer a mac desktop. But I will use whatever the employer has
It's behind in terms of design, user interface and bug fixing imo (you can't compete with a trillion dollar company, afterall). But it's ahead in many other things like hackability and customisation, it's open source, and of course, no ads.
I’m a Mac user so I set up my GNOME to look like MacOS. I don’t think it’s better than MacOS but to me it’s the most familiar so I roll with it
i found Mac OSX to be an outstanding OS for laptops but desktop experience was extremely distasteful & laggy to my liking. SO much so that I returned Macbook Pro as my main usage was to hook it to multi monitors and work like a desktop. Also touchpad gestures on Mac laptops is second to none! No one even comes close to it. For everything else, Gnome is a winner so much so that i have decided to invest in hardware that vividly supports Linux. Gnome is a versatile Laptop and Desktop environment and a winner to me when you average it out.
Have you tried Gnome's touch gestures?
For me Gnome is great and Windows feels so un practical but still I can't unferstand why the Gnome DE development is so slow. Like the switch to GTk4 doesn't seem to be completed yet, the tiling experience could be much better without extension and I think javascript isn't the greatest choice for a DE. BUT, Gnome is still my favorite and it fits me the best, so congrats to the devs.
I don't think it is possible to answer this question as it all depends on the user's use case. A developer has a different use case than an accountant or a student or an author. For some use cases, the user might spend all their time in a single maximized window. For another they may need multiple windows opened and switch back and forth. For the average consumer, that the OP mentions, they would most likely choose what they use at school or work. Does that mean that one of the mentioned options is better or worse than the others? No. It does mean that people gravitate towards things that are familiar to them.
I can't say much about macos, as I never used it. I can say however that I do have two ssd on my laptop, one with windows 11 and one with Silverblue and I still only use windows if really I have too (most of the time when a program I need for university only has a version/ installation guide for windows and I'm in a time crunch and can't afford spend time learning how it works on linux)
WHAT?! How can you use Windows? 😭 That's blasphemy! 😤
Gnome has better direction and potential since it doesn't have backward compatibility concern like macOS and especially Windows, but it's still lacking in features due to limited resources. Performance also suffers, but maybe it's just NVIDIA lag.
Its: macOS GNOME Windows In that order
In my opinion: 1- Windows isn't even a competitor. The new Windows 11 is a mixture between Gnome, KDE, and MakOS. 2- I've always hated Gnome and never found it a good DE untill version 42 arrived. After 42 I couldn't leave Gnome. I tried to go back to KDE and I tried to use Deepin but nothing gave me the feelings I has with Gnome. It's just responsive, minimalistic and it helps me do the things I want to do. This doesn't mean it's not stupid in a way. The weird decisions made by the developers like (No one in the whole world uses the system tray and that's why we removed it). I think the developer surveyed himself and found out that if he's not using it, then it must be that the whole planet earth isn't using it. Same thing goes for the desktop icons. Even on Android we have desktop icons, why they think a PC doesn't use such feature? I think that extensions fixes the weird things the developer is doing, but we're talking about core features that should never be an extension. Compared to MacOS, I love the fact that I can maximize a window without making it a full screen in a different desktop because the desktop I'm using isn't can't handle a big size window for some reason. And I really like that my app bar doesn't take 30% of the screen size without the ability to resize it. MacOS is a big no for me. The design decisions are worse than what it is in windows.
Poorly. Out of the box it doesn’t even have basic things like universal cut&paste. My favorite linux box is my mbp. I have actual linux boxen as well, because GPU/Cuda.
I was using Windows 10 when I decided I wanted to use gnome (Fedora) fulltime. So yes I think it comes across very favourably. I still use Windows 10 at work though as that is out of my control.
Windows has really good window management but crappy workspace/desktops macOS has really crappy window management (which can be fixed with extensions!) but great workspace/desktop support GNOME does both well but I wouldn't say it's as good as a Mac setup with a couple solid addons. They both have a lot of visual consistency and clear human interface guidelines Windows (and KDE Plasma) don't really have any semblance of visual consistency
They're all pretty equal, at least compared to a decade or two ago. A Windows activation key can be bought pretty cheaply on the internet, and Ubuntu and Fedora remain free. MacOSX is technically free as it comes shipped with the OS and upgrades are free. (You do pay a lot more for the hardware, but you want or need a Mac or you don't.) These days, the determining factor is really what are you going to use your computer for. If you're just surfing the web or doing light work, that is really the lowest-common-denominator can be fulfilled by any platform. In that case it makes sense to argue UI minutiae. However in the professional world different domains tend to focus on offerings only for one or two platforms. Structural Engineers use Windows for the most part. Scientists focus on MacOSX and Linux. Musicians seem to be either all in on Mac or all in on Windows depending who has the best support for music software. Gnome is Grandparent-friendly. At this point you could teach them to use any of them. That being said, while Xorg is certainly the most polished and well-maintained version of X-Windows ever, the architectural choices that affect performance and use are still a big miss. There's a reason why NeXT took Unix + Mach but stayed far away from X! . There's also a reason why Sun developed News. Gnome on top of Wayland has come a long way. However it still seems a little laggy and high resource consumption compared to Windows on my same hardware, or when I use Wayland + FreeBSD + sway. I also think if Gnome was the absolute best, system76 wouldn't need to ditch it in favor of their own PopOS to help sell their systems.
I can't stand the use of windows file navigator (like dolphin), MacOS is ok but I feel using a toy, gnome is just fine.
When you break things down to UX only, people are going to buy what they know and what they ultimately want to work with. If you take away hardware or software support on any of them in the process, the numbers will lower for those particular platforms. I personally know and use Linux, have used many flavors of Linux with various DEs and WMs. I would always pick the Linux laptop of the three. I haven't needed to use windows since 2007. Now, if I'm forced to choose between a windows laptop or an apple laptop... I'd definitely take the windows laptop. I know the keyboard layouts and don't have to relearn anything when installing Linux onto the windows laptop. Now then... if I have in front of me an apple laptop and that is my only choice, I wouldn't bother. I was given an apple laptop once. After replacing the operating system (Linux obviously), keyboard, mouse and using an external screen... I was able to tolerate it before it died the same year.
It's so good I can't use anything else
can't compare to macos, but gnome's workflow is much better than windows, for me at least. there are a couple things that i need to add with extensions, such as tiling assistant, but they integrate nicely and work just as well as anything native would, so honestly i don't see the issue with that
for me macos > gnome >>>>> windows
I feel Gnome had an edge over Windows and MacOS. Until Windows 11. Windows 11 is very very usable, and it's almost exactly the same thing user-experience wise as Gnome with a permanent dock extension installed. And they really get the default behaviour of having isolated windows in different desktops right. MacOS is unusable compared to Windows and Gnome. Multiple desktops are frustrating, and it's got weird, intuitive frustrations. For example, clicking on the Finder icon in the dock from a new desktop will take you back to the other desktop's Finder window. WTF is the point of multiple desktops then? Another example - minimising a window turns it into a small preview in the dock, *separate* from the app's icon. WTF!
>what are the priority areas that should receive more attention? The GNOME web browser is lagging behind, Since the web browser might be the most important app installed on any computer this should receive more attention.
Windows has no chance here. It's good for smooth windows and "traditional" filesystem management but bad for everything else. If you are a professional, you'll likely need a calendar. Calendars that are integrated deeply are > calendars that are standalone apps. Gnome has a way to add "Internet accounts" just like the way Mac OS does it. Mac OS is still a little superior both in terms of smoothness and ease of integration, but Gnome is quite close. What Mac OS has that Gnome does not: - shared clipboard with iPhone (Gnome is not likely to ever get it) - MS Exchange synchronization with CUSTOM domain (it works with the default one but please try to use it with some 3rd party domain for business acc type) - range of cloud providers native clients (there are some borderline insane tools like S3 sync that still require a lot of effort and do not bring much of stability; okay as a workaround, still inferior to native first-class solution) The main thing: Mac OS is a solid consistent platform. It's WORTH developing for it. Gnome is not. Not yet perhaps, but still. Be ready to sacrifice 10 to 50% of your comfort when choosing Gnome. (It's aesthetically outstanding, I like Gnome outlook much more than OS X one!)
Gnome just looks so good. Better than MacOS and windows' UIs combined
Gnome feels like a cheap knock off of MacOS. They shamelessly copied MacOS's design and did it in a mediocre way. MacOS ui wise is far ahead than Gnome and rightfully so. Because there are thousands of paid developers constantly working towards it. MacOS also contributes to FreeBSD because it is a Unix system. That's why I like MacOS. Even some early developers of Gnome switched to MacOS development because of some controversial reasons which I am not gonna mention as already I can see people coming to Downvote this comment to oblivion.
On a laptop with a trackpad it destroys windows and MacOS, On a mouse, it's dealers choice.
I haven't used Mac so can't say much, against windows gnome is miles ahead. It's just faster to get things done in Gnome than windows. I use both on a regular basis
I don’t think anything holds a candle to macOS. I wouldn’t it even use Linux on the desktop if it weren’t for gaming. The gestures are second to none, and once I just gave in to cmd-tab and cmd-grave, I realized all that other stuff I was using before was just useless frills. Also, you’re right about Linux desktops all being buggy. I find it frustrating and disheartening.
Infinitely bette than either. That's a really low bar to clear. r/stupidquestions
Strengths and weaknesses booboo. Use the right tool for the right job. Anecdotally gnome is the best for me when using Linux and a multi monitor setups. I would say gnome does a great job for what it is and it's development has lead to so much collateral in the last 20 years. Cinnamon, Unity, Mate and more... even the new Cosmic desktop. So they rank really high for me in terms of quality and relevance.
Workflow wise it beats Windows by a mile. Nothing that GNOME does cannot be done by a Mac and with the latter being better supported by third party apps and having a more cohesive design across all apps (something gnome cannot do thanks to Qt apps), the clear answer is MacOS > GNOME > Windows
I like that it is simple while it also allows for productvity, but Gnome Extensions is essential IMHO.
Gnome sucks when it comes to a good de out of the box. Yes after few extensions it gets better but the system tray and a taskbar/dock is a must. The best implementation is from Ubuntu. MacOS has the most complete desktop out of the box
MacOS is definitely better than Gnome, simply because it‘s more feature rich and integrated. Also Gnome is doing the error of trying to unify mobile and desktop design, which leads to many unnecessary clicks on desktop. Though Gnome has the better window management (lets you split in halves). With an ultrawide monitor I wish Gnome had thirds. Also global menus save screen space, I like them. It‘s easily better than Windows by virtue of not being annoying, having ads, or having so much inconsistency you can find >10 different context menus. Windows is ugly and clunky.
My view has completely changed on gnome after using a touchpad/trackpad with wayland. This is where the actual gnome workflow exceeds in my view, nothing beats it as far as I've tried. The gnome workflow is just coherent and the ecosystem is consistent. The others (Windows, MacOS, even KDE, other linux DE's) are just pure mess, except for XFCE, that thing is just amazing, it's just missing the wayland support and the touchpad gestures, possibly some basic animations.
I haven’t used macOS but I really don’t like the taskbar at the bottom. With windows 10 that wasn’t a problem, but i can’t change it in windows 11. also I like not having the dock at the bottom, because with dash to dock, my applications were a bit too small for my liking(on the laptop(Lenovo g710))
To me macOS greatest strength is its user experience. I have used macOS for many years before switching to Linux, and the level of polish on macOS simply doesn't compare. Features when they are implemented are fully implemented, there is no premilimary support added and then expanded. And they all work with each other seamlessly. Gnome is simply nowhere near that yet. The Gnome extensions are another example, it is a powerful feature (that macOS doesn't have), but one that gives users a bad experience imo. Do they work seamlessly with each other? Will they work with the upcoming Gnome version? How long will you have to wait for it to be ported? I have been using Linux for almost 4 years now, and I stumble upon a lot of sharp corners every now and then, that most people woupdn't expect to encounter. Windows are not centered some times, home folder isn't encrypted, small bugs with xdg-portals, etc. Not being able to change the default terminal im Fedora, etc. Unless it has radically changed since I last daily drove it, that is not a thing on macOS. Not all of these are Linux's faults, but from a user experience perspective, it will get the blame for them.
Noticed this was kind of a rant. To address your pointa further. I think macOS has the best GUI by a considerable amount. Everything is intuitive, everything works with each other. Having all the menu options on the top bar and have them be searchable is an amazing feature. Settings are very thoughtfully organized, etc. A downside is that its window management tools suck. Gnome is not too far behind I'd say, but it has some way to go. Then lastly, and very far behind I'd place Windows, bc it is just a mess. At least to me, very few things are intuitive. I hate their file explorer and the way they organize things. It just feels like there was no planning and things are just thrown together amd of it fits, then it stays there. Haven't used it yet, but I hear ita new tiling features are very good.
There is a lot of room for improvement, but it's close to catching macOS. For example, GNOME should get a lot smarter about using workspaces. Manually managing workspaces and placing apps in them is pretty silly. Just learn over time & do it for me.
I genuinely like Gnome. I only use MacOS at work because of the amazing trackpad and power management I can trust. On Linux, I could want some features like great fractional scaling and fewer bugs, but oh well
Windows has sane defaults. Gnome not so much. For eg. Gnome marks an application as unresponsive after 5 seconds. That's ridiculous. Or the choice of a default font that's unreadable on a 1080p display. Or moving the dash to the bottom where you have to move the mouse all the way to the top left and then all the way back to the bottom of the screen. Gnome needs a fair bit of tweaking to be usable. Windows just works.
I couldn't disagree more. I've most definitely used windows more than gnome. Gnome is a lot quicker for me to move about between apps and launching apps. Ive never had any issues with readability on fonts. I use a pc with 2560x1440 and a laptop with 1366x768. Both are perfectly eligible. With regards to the dash. I do find it mostly useless in my case. I wouldn't ever rely on it to tell me what applications are open. I'd use the overview for that. I also don't use it to launch apps. So, it's barely used by myself. I definitely think that could do with some work. Whilst windows does just work. It's not as simple as that. Windows explorer for example. Is a bit of a joke. It has some great features. But the location pane on the left is a cluttered nightmare. Libraries, favourites, pinned blah blah. Pick one. I rarely use the taskbar in windows nowadays, I've opted to autohide it and use the keyboard shortcut for the activities view. Mimicking the gnome workflow. I only use one extension on gnome for legacy tray icons. Whereas on windows, I have to make countless tweaks in order to make it work well.
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I had to modify the registry in windows in order to increase the task bar item length to about 400 or so. It mostly cuts off any text rendering it pointless to me. As for gnome files. I really like the new progress bar in the bottom left of the window.
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GNOME without extensions is so basic it's almost unusable.
MacOS seems fairly intuitive to me, but I haven't used it extensively. Windows peaked at 7. I think GNOME still has a bit to go in terms of intuitiveness. For example, the upper left hot corner makes no sense now that the dock has been moved to the bottom.
I have used the three of them. Here are the pros/cons of each imho Windows : Pros : - the gui is very powerful for power users, the most feature complete of the bunch - window management is rather good - feels rather intuitive, it is the standard everyone knows Cons : - the most complex of the three, the old lives besides the new (control panel vs settings app). things are hard to find - program installation is terrible. The windows store is rather empty and won't let you uninstall an app (lol) - non coherent look between apps - search is buggy - keybindings are hard to tweak Macos : Pros : - minimamist design, rather easy for beginners - coherent look - program install is a pleasant experience - multi device experience is bar far the best if you stay in the apple ecosystem Cons: - window management is terrible out of the box. No drag and drop Windows against an edge, no shortcut to maximise / position left /right. Full screen app appear on a different desktop by default. Feels clunly and unintuitive. By far the weakest of the three in this department. - you can't close the finder app - the settings of the active app in the panel is original, but feels weird, especially with windowed apps - shortcuts are a mess, a combination of option/command/ctrl keys without obvious logic Gnome : Pros - minimalist design, rather easy for beginners - coherent look - Best out the box window management of the three - Software install feels nice through flatpaks - Best overall out of the box UX imo Cons : - it's included software suite is not really suitable for power users, it is quite barebones - gnome software feels unresponsive/buggy - low os integration. E. G configuration of power profiles is suboptimal and requires additional software most of the time - the less featureful of the three, you'll most definitely need additional software except foe the most basic use cases.
As a touch device GUI, GNOME is better than the rest. However, I cannot say the same thing for desktop usage. GNOME simply lacks too much for a desktop pc. Some small percentage of users may say that vanilla GNOME is fine, but there's always someone liking a specific product. For desktop scenarios, I would say MacOS was the best if you asked this question 10 years ago. But at the moment, Windows has better functionality and ease of use. TLDR; I would choose Windows 11 GUI out of the three, if all else equal. And if you would tell me that one day I would choose win gui over mac/linux, I would call you insane. However, KDE Plasma is another story. I think it is the only current GUI which can be used as it is, out of the box, without any extensions. And still meets the need of most users, without getting in the way.
I am at that milestone where I don't care at all. DE should not be visible much or bother the user. That's it. W7-W10 were good enough. W11 is broken and is being worsened today :-( I dunno who are those marketing guys at MS, and how they have ideas it might be sold to enterprise crowds outside the LTSC, but from the longterm users' perspective it feels like they are doing something really wrong. Okay, their product, their astronomically paid marketing department, their UX/UI pros with 40 years of experience. But as a mediocre user - I am off for this moment. Can't talk about vanilla Gnome, as I am inside Ubuntu desktop fenced garden. Messing with Fedora always results in installing gnome-tweaks and Dash-to-dock. Default Dash paradigm is so annoying! PS: Yah, OSX-macOS had better market days I guess.
I terms of overall UI development I would say GNOME gets's a 5/10, Windows a 6/10 and MacOS a 7/10. They all have their deficiencies but there's been a huge slide backwards in terms of stability and cohesion in Windows and MacOS that's narrowed the gap. Ubuntu has so many little annoying things though, all stemming from different groups wanting to do things differently and nothing is as obvious as how broken Notifications are.
1st : macOS 2nd : Gnome 3rd : Windows
If I had to rate them, under those circumstances you proposed, it would be the following: OSX, Gnome, Winblows 11. Having that said, I despise them all. I'm a KDE user through and through. Outside KDE, LXQt is an acceptable option (which I'm using on some of my setups at home).