Certainly Plasma if you’re coming from Windows, unless we’re considering pre-customized GNOME variants like for example Ubuntu uses.
Sure, KDE can be more complex in terms of configuration and customizability, but the default configuration is already good for most users.
Beginners using vanilla GNOME will quickly miss features like a minimize button and certainly tray icons.
Beginners using vanilla GNOME
Beginners will never really be in a position where they’ll be using vanilla gnome, so that argument is kinda moot. And even if they did, those features are literally one extension away…
will quickly miss features like a minimize button and certainly tray icons.
Tray icons don’t exist in gnome’s ecosystem, it only becomes problematic once you get third party applications. The real problems are the minimize/maximize, desktop icons, and panel on top when coming from windows. Although these days with the ever increasing phone use people might just be more at ease with gnome’s workflow anyways.
Okay but the comparison was about GNOME vs KDE, not “GNOME modified with 5 extensions and tweaks that may or may not break with the next major update”.
Also, most users will want to install third party applications. Your average gamer will likely install Discord and Steam, both of them use a tray icon. And no, most gamers aren’t very technical when it comes to their OS.
As if extensions on kde wouldn’t break. How many outdated extensions are there on kde right now? Last time I checked it wasn’t only one or two.
Just because everything is shipped with kde doesn’t mean that gnome is worse because you have to install one more app. Yes it should be included but that’s not my decision to make.
Okay but the comparison was about GNOME vs KDE, not "GNOME modified with 5 extensions and tweaks
Yeah each distribution has their own patch set. If you really want to compare you need to start with the most popular, ubuntu and fedora.
Also, most users will want to install third party applications. Your average gamer will likely install Discord and Steam, both of them use a tray icon.
The two examples you gave are definitely not most users. I’d be surprised if it were even 20%. And the tray icon isn’t necessary for either of them to work correctly. Most people use the computer to open the browser.