As a fairly new desktop Linux user I’ve been a distro-hopping fanatic, exploring the functionality and key differences between the array of excellent options out there. While a “forever distro” is the ultimate goal, the journey has been exciting and educational. Recently my Linux adventures led me to Deepin, an OS that captured my attention and boasts a few key ingredients I fell in love with.
Deepin does something unique that I haven’t seen in any other Linux distribution I’ve tried. Or for that matter, in any version of macOS or Windows. This compels me to describe it as simultaneously sexy and sensible. I know, it’s an unusual combination!
Deepin also does something that — at least in my experience — sometimes requires the installation of a completely different desktop environment. It offers fast-switching between “Fashion Mode” and “Efficient Mode,” effectively catering to people (read: Mac and Windows users) with pre-existing preferences on how their desktop should look and function.
MacDailyNews Take: Anything is better than Microsoft’s Windows.
And, no, yet another knockoff wannabe is not more beautiful than macOS:
Oh MDN. It is a very beautiful desktop. I specifically like the overlay controls on the right. You launched a photo imaging app to try to convey the same kind of feel, but most Mac desktops are a pile of icons. If we pretend that everything that Apple does is just great, things will not get better. All we’ll get is “deprecated” functionality as they go about their business locking down macOS until you might as well be on an iPad. We are lucky to have LINUX as a place to go when Apple leaves us no room to grow.
Too true! I use TeamViewer to remotely connect to other computers. On Windows, TeamViewer can drag and drop files from the host desktop to client seamlessly (one can even copy and paste files!). On the Mac, Apple forces them to make the user open FTP (I called them and that’s what they told me- they would love to offer the Mac version the same functionality as Windows, but Apple won’t let them!). There is NOTHING worse than arrogance from an OS supplier. Apple is over the top on this one (and I’m sure there are many other examples).
Creds: I have been using a Mac since 1985 (only briefly stopped in the “dark ages” of the ’90’s when Apple lost its vision). I own practically every device Apple makes (from the Watch, to Apple TV to iPads, iPhones and many Macs). I absolutely HATE Windows, but sometimes Apple goes too far (like not allowing me to copy PART of a text message on my iPhone- SO braindead!)…
I use TeamViewer… stopped reading
Try ReamViewer, it’s the adult version and it’s a lot more interesting.
You owe me some screen cleaner for the spit take I just did, lol
I agree with your sentiments about the major trends with macOS (and even before that with Mac OSX). Apple has slowly but surely removed easy user access to detailed system functionality. Sure, we can all launch Terminal and still do 99% of what we could way back then, but why should we have to do so?
You’re right, it definitely is (and has been) feeling like Apple wants to turn the macOS interface into another iPad OS interface — extremely simple to use, but EXTREMELY difficult to do anything other than the most simple tasks.
The more Apple locks their OS down, and their users OUT, the more I’m inclined to look for something better.
The aqua desktop on macOS is kind of garbage. And it’s just getting worse and worse. Catalina will be their vista.
You may have a beautiful car that does not fit your needs. I am not looking for a beautiful OS. I am looking for a useful one. If you cannot install things doing double click, if you can not find your files at first sight, if you do not know where things are…is not for me. I want to be productive, not waste days of work learning another OS (which is NOT a Mac OS)
Lol. macOS is Linux you fool. Basically. Just the FreeBSD variant. With proprietary GUI plastered over it. Back in the early days of OS X you could use KDE or Gnome if you knew what you were doing. Now it’s a locked down garbage train.
FreeBSD is definitely not any variant of Linux. FreeBSD (as dows BSD itself) predates Linux. Besides, macOS is really a Mach Kernel with large parts of FreeBSD wrapped around it. Thus, at its core, macOS is not FreeBSD either. So, technically, you’re wrong on all fronts. And, this is not even starting to talk about the proprietary (definitely not Linux) graphics layer or the user interface layer.
I’m glad Linux exists, it’s just not for me (or most people, for that matter).
Deepin is based on Debian but originates in China. Although beautiful, and I use many Linux distress, wouldn’t touch this on with a ten foot pole.
Linux distress – unintentional satire?
I doubt it! Probably still has the linux GUI lag that I call it. Every version of Linux has a weird draw to the mouse cursor to me where it feels like it lags.
Mom always said… pretty is as pretty does…..just because it has a pretty desktop doesn’t mean it isn’t going to run like a piece of crap. There were folks that ooohed and aaaahed over the Vista desktop untill they found out the piece of garbage os it was. The distro that runs quickly with a decent desktop and apps that can replace M$soft apps is the unicorn we all are looking for.
Well said, Garth Vader
Where the author said “educated,” he meant that he fussed with it with some difficulty until he finally learned how to configure it. Black desktops with whote text are not as easy to read.