Linux desktops are clean, efficient, and beautiful

Dec 15, 2014 17:24 GMT  ·  By

When people think about Linux, they usually imagine old desktops and terminals running in full screen. The truth is that the platform has evolved tremendously in the past few years and it's safe to say that it's well above anything done by Microsoft and Apple.

In the past, people didn't really care too much about the desktop environment and it was never a priority. Sure enough, users had access to themes, mouse cursors, and so on, but at the end of the day it was never about those features.

Linux, for the most part, is still about performance and about open source, but now it can do it with a lot more class. The efforts to make Linux more attractive are really starting to show and the quality is going through the roof.

One of the reasons is that a lot of young and talented designers are now working to improve the Linux platform and their work is getting implemented all over the place. It's no longer just a few guys doing a few quality themes a year, there are now hundreds of designers working in tandem on all sort of projects. The progress is real and measurable.

It's all about customization and the power to do anything you want

One of the main reasons why the Linux platform has managed to rise above the commercial enterprises like Windows or Mac OS X is the ability to customize the desktop.

The Linux distribution allows users to do pretty much anything they want, within some limits. Some OSes are more open than others, but all of them can be changed substantially with a little bit of effort.

The fact that these changes can now be done with great ease is also an important factor. It no longer takes a user an hour and two tutorials to install and configure a dock for his favorite apps. Installing a theme or new icons has become a simple task and there are applications that provide detailed access to all the nooks and crannies of the OS.

The trend right now is to do away with all the bells and whistles and keep only a minimalistic approach. The window decorations are simple and they keep everything nice and tidy.

If you take a look at some of the images in the gallery below, which come from distros like Fedora 21, Arch Linux, elementary OS, or Ubuntu-based distros, you will notice that everyone is looking to have a lot of space and to keep things strictly professional.

The beauty of Linux is that if you really don't like this minimalist trend, you can make any changes you want. There are no limitations. By comparison, the Windows and Mac OS X systems look encumbered, but Linux feels like a breath of fresh air. It feels like freedom.

Enjoy!

Note:

The screenshots have been gathered from Google+ by using #showmeyourdesktop hashtag.

Linux desktops (10 Images)

elementary OS desktop
OZON OSClean GNOME Shell
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