For the past few days, for the first time, I’ve seriously tried MacOS and I became distinctly aware that anyone who calls Gnome similar to MacOS has never used MacOS.

If you’re just looking at screenshots, Gnome and MacOS do bear a resemblance. Gnome’s Dash looks similar to the Dock; Gnome’s app launcher looks similar to Launchpad; Gnome’s top panel looks similar to the menu bar.

But actually using each desktop, the UX, design philosophy, idealogy, and feel is miles apart. I think the four biggest differences are

  1. No menu bar
  2. Minimizing distractions, so no dock
  3. Interacting with windows is closer to Windows and KDE (fullscreening windows keeps them in same workspace, can interact with a window’s content without first clicking to focus it)
  4. Managing open apps is closer to Windows and KDE (apps actually close when you hit “x”, with few exceptions, only open apps and favorited apps are in the dash)
  • jonathanEnglish
    251·
    11 days ago

    No one is saying they’re identical.

    I mained MacOS for 10 years and Gnome for the past 5. Gnome is as similar to MacOS as KDE is to Windows.

    • Dariusmiles2123@sh.itjust.works
      2·
      11 days ago

      Yeah I guess it’s mostly in the aesthetics department.

      I haven’t used MacOs much, but the fit and finish is comparable I guess, but not the way you’re using it.

    • Leaflet@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      11·
      11 days ago

      I’m just saying that I think it would be more accurate to group Gnome closer to Windows and KDE than MacOS. Especially if Dash to Dock and Appindicators are enabled, like in Ubuntu.

      I could switch between Gnome, KDE, Windows, and most Linux DEs relatively easily, but MacOS’s feels quite different to me.