Linux Desktop Comparisons (X11, CDE, KDE, Gnome, Unity, Xfce, etc)
This pages is my opinion on various unix/linux Window Managers. (If you want a technical intro, see: Linux: How to Install New Window Manager (Gnome, KDE, Xfce, xmonad, etc))
so, now am using Xfce and LXDE. Been also running xmonad, unity 2d, gnome 2. (and of course, 12 years ago, i've been running CDE, and bare x11 with a clock and xterm. lol)
now the judgement.
- Unity = for mom and pop with its “software store” — HEAVILY commercialized crap.
- xmonad = SHIT. (any tiling wm is a inefficiency shit, by principle. [see Why Tiling Window Manager Sucks (xmonad, ratpoison, dwm, etc)])
- Gnome 2 = usable. Good.
- Xfce = usable. Good.
- LXDE = kinda bare threads. Ugly font. The font in the default terminal (
lxterminal) is one ugly face! Probably due to bad anti-aliasing. LXDE's look'n'feel is kinda like Windows 95.
I think Gnome 2 or Xfce would be my choice forward.
in general, i'm a pure functional guy. I don't care for any “visual effects” (such as the compiz), but if a visual effect do aid functionality in subtle and measurable ways (e.g. window shadow), then it MAY be good (depends on how much it aids recognition, and how much it slow things down.). I despise the typical hacker types who clamor about killing the mouse or tiling windows. (i live inside terminal and emacs, yet mouse to me is fine. I use 2 mouses, one for each hand, for 15 years now, and my mouses each must have 5 buttons minimum! and i have over a hundred personally defined hot keys key of my own devise, so you ratpoison fanatics, shut up n am more efficient, faster, than u in any aspect of operating the OS, YET i type less in doing any operation, YET overall i type 2 times more than u!) (See: Xah Keyboard Guide)
in summary, when it comes to UI, am highly efficiency and pure functionality oriented, but everything i judge by more scientific grounds as much as possible, not by Geeking HABIT or Culture.
Status of Windows vs Mac vs Linux: Things Haven't Changed in 10 Years
o btw, so, it's been like 10 years since i tried Linux. Of all these wm i've tried, when compared to Windows today (Window 7), am sorry to say, the Linuxes are all clunky, error prone, less features, by FAR. (i was thinking and wishing it to be otherwise, but am sorry to say this is simply unbiased fact) And, OS X's UI, on prettiness, functionality, ease of use, robustness, is another level up than Windows.
humm… so, it looks like, after 10 years, things haven't changed much, really.