So, if you want a good user experience with something that looks different from the likes of a traditional Windows layout, GNOME should be the perfect pick. It’s good to see that GNOME is also focusing on the performance side of things with their recent GNOME 3.36 release.
So, it’s not a great choice to go with if you are looking to install a Linux distribution on older computers or systems with less than 4 Gigs of RAM. Unfortunately, GNOME isn’t a lightweight desktop environment. The user interface aims to provide a unique experience (kind of tailored for both mobile and desktops). GNOME is designed to be easy to use and customizable. Many of the popular Linux distros use GNOME as their default desktop environment and it has some popular forks, such as Cinnamon. GNOME is arguably the most popular desktop environment out there. May not offer the most intuitive user experience.Some other popular Linux distributions like Linux Mint, Manjaro, etc, also offer MATE editions of their distributions. Ubuntu MATE is one of the official flavors of Ubuntu that utilizes the MATE desktop. MATE comes with a collection of basic applications and includes a number of built-in useful tools. In addition to the user experience, it is also worth noting that it is a lightweight desktop environment as well. And, of course, especially for the ones who loved GNOME 2 but hate the new GNOME.
If we take the example of Ubuntu MATE 20.04, MATE desktop is suitable for almost everyone. To get some idea, you might want to check out what Ubuntu MATE 20.04 has to offer. MATE was initially developed for the users who were disappointed with the latest iteration of GNOME shell - GNOME 3.Įven though it’s based on the good-old GNOME 2, the MATE team has improved the desktop environment on a lot of grounds. MATE Desktop Environment is based on GNOME 2. The customization options and tools might be a little too overwhelming for newbies, leading to potential confusion.