I will give the Dell more RAM, but Windows 10 was surprisingly happy with just the 4Gb. My contention with W10 was the muddled Desktop/Tablet UI and constantly rotating deckchairs. It was slowly picking up macOS features but belatedly and sometimes not well implemented. It still does not have key features that I want even though Apps like Rainmeter can visually modify a considerable amount of the Desktop/general UI.

The Repository is just a web address? Somewhere out there?

That would mean there are quite a number? One for each distro, or each packet manager?

It is odd that Linux which is so explicit in what it does, doesn't do that for the source of its software.

I assume that where macOS has foundational Frameworks which contain the "dependencies", Linux must independently assemble them for each individual Linux App to work? Which is why there are no simple free standing clickable installers on Linux?

On both macOS and Windows you are free to go off and source Apps from anywhere you can find them, and those sources do a good job of informing you what they do, with comprehensive screensnaps etc, and the Hardware/System requirements. Which, being fixed macOS or Windows, are far more predictable than Linux.

Naming is also a sore point with Linux Apps. Software names are really cryptic and usually accompanied by Icons that tell you equally little, and confuse much.

If you stick to Linux and you revisit this thread..
you will chuckle to yourself as I am.

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Yes, not sure what this slightly wrong set of assertions is coming from. You can certainly click "Install" from many of the app store interfaces - could not be easier. Literally browse, search click on an app and read about it with a link to the website and all the guides with screenshots - click "install" to install. You can also download from websites and double-click to install just like Windows, but downloading from websites is less secure.

And yes, Windows 10 is the most horrible user experience and must have been designed by the devil.

To at least answer some of your questions/assumptions at a high-level before you go down too many rabbit holes:

The Repository is just a web address? Somewhere out there? Kind of - it is a web accessible software repository

That would mean there are quite a number? One for each distro, or each packet manager? Each piece of software is not written by the same team or company, but it is fairly organized to keep all of the procured software within the repositories to make installation consistent and secure.

It is odd that Linux which is so explicit in what it does, doesn't do that for the source of its software. What? As mentioned above, having all of the software in repositories means you don't have to look for the source, although I am not entirely sure what you are saying here. You can also add repositories for software outside of the standard repositories. These repositories then help to keep your installed applications up to date.

I assume that where macOS has foundational Frameworks which contain the "dependencies", Linux must independently assemble them for each individual Linux App to work? Which is why there are no simple free standing clickable installers on Linux? No it does not. There are shared dependencies and the package manager will only install the ones you don't already have. Snaps on the other hand (which I really dislike) package the dependencies with the app (more like what you have just said)- snaps are common with Ubuntu Linux in the latest versions.

On both macOS and Windows you are free to go off and source Apps from anywhere you can find them, and those sources do a good job of informing you what they do, with comprehensive screensnaps etc, and the Hardware/System requirements. Which, being fixed macOS or Windows, are far more predictable than Linux. As mentioned already, you can source your own but that is risky on any OS - the repositories contain selected software, but you can do what you like you have both options.

Naming is also a sore point with Linux Apps. Software names are really cryptic and usually accompanied by Icons that tell you equally little, and confuse much. Not really sure what you mean - I use probably 80% of the same apps on Windows, Linux and Mac (over the years) and the icons are the same. The system icons will vary depending on your desktop environment (e.g. KDE). I actually chose to download a dark theme icon pack for Cinnamon as I like the icons - I suppose icons really are a matter of subjectivity for the most part and what you are used to of course.

The Devil is in the detail (or lack thereof) and the primitive implementation.

1. Discover is an example of "could not be easier"

2. All the Linux App Stores I have seen thus far have been mostly empty, crude and uninformative.

3. Despite that there are hardly any Apps in the Linux Stores and most of them show the Apps in small icon/bare sentence lists, they are slow to populate and show

4. I have noticed that the flag "Installed" is not necessarily correct, or is slow to show, or even double installs in certain circumstances. Mostly they show no progress and you are left guessing what is going on.

5. The same Apps show up multiple times in the Stores with no indication what the differences are, if any, nor what version they are, nor what they require.

6. Some Apps I have clicked on Install multiple times and/or nothing happens, with the added confusion of suites and individual Apps within the suites are listed separately.

7. Can you point out where I can find double clickable copyable App installers for Linux on the web? The App Store in macOS is a huge collection of curated and vetted software, plus there are individual websites like Macupdater.com which also have huge collections of Apps with a lot of rated reviews, usually but not always vetted, a lot of dodgy websites with collections, the direct websites of the developers, Torrents, Dropbox, and various other Stores. There are also Bundle sites where you can get deals on collections of Apps/Utilities and software.

8. A search in the Apple App Store and also Macupdater.com will show pages full of results quickly sorted and selected.

Don't believe your dated views of macOS. Walk into a physical Apple Store or anywhere that has a Mac to see what a real App Store (it's under the Apple logo menu) looks like, and how much detailed information and feedback it gives you, with massive choice and many helpful (current) reviews.

The macOS user experience shown side by side with Linux says it all.

If it is any comfort the Windows Store lies somewhere in between, a bit better than Linux but not by much.

I am not a Mac hater, in fact I have requested a Mac from work to replace my Dell because I cannot stand Windows 10 and have refused to use it for work!

However, I have not experienced the issues you have mentioned above - I have found that quite a few of the Linux app store front-ends are very similar to the Apple app store (obviously a compliment to the Mac version).

Ultimately you can (and I have in the past) have everything looking and behaving almost the same as Mac OS (including the dock and many other parts) if you really want, although that can take some effort. Otherwise there are distros which have a lot of similarities and it depends which pain points you have seen, e.g. it seems that you have not seen a slick app store that performs well and has reviews, screenshots and links (but many of them do).

It is not quite clear whether any of these issues have been experienced using Discover? Would be useful to know as I cannot tell if you are saying all app stores are like it apart from Discover or including.

I think regarding quick results and sorting - I have never experienced any slowness of any kind like that, but then I do have an 8 core CPU with 32GB of RAM so I would be pretty disappointed if anything was less thank lightning quick! Having said that, when I was evaluating Debian 10 on a VM, I only gave it 4GB and 2 cores.

You cannot easily compare MacOS side by side to Linux - Linux is hundreds of distros and configurations so sure, maybe a lot of them do not compare well in terms of your expectations and you may not appreciate the good points of some.

My setup compares very will with MacOS side by side - way better (surely not biased). We use Macs quite a lot at work and as I say I am getting one to replace my Windows machine. Whether I use it much, I don't know, but at least it will look prettier than the Dell

I am not suggesting that you are a Mac Hater, just that you should update your knowledge. If you are getting a Mac be careful. I am here because I love macOS but am pissed off with Apple. They are showing some signs of listening to the Pro customers, but have yet to show they have truely changed direction. Next year will tell!

I know the Dell is not current or powerful. It worked reasonably well with Windows 10 installed for the basics. It's early days, but I think it may be struggling with Linux. Partly due to the touch screen interface, and its media handling has got a bit more difficult. I never noticed it faltering with x265 video in W10, nor jumpy sound.

I've tried Zorin OS, Elementary OS, Ubuntu Budgie, Enso OS and now KDE Neon Plasma 5. The first 4 have made a major effort to copy the Apple App Store with varying degrees of success. KDE Neon's Discover has definitely been the worst of these. First thing that strikes me in all of them, is just how little software there is, and mostly how crude. Hopefully you can tell me where they are hiding the good stuff!

Obviously I have not tried all the Distros, but I will try and look at others. After I get VM up and running. Or I will try, yet again, to get various distros on the 5 external USB HDDs I set aside for this.

Obviously macOS's aesthetics are one of the first things that strike you when you open it. I like an OS that is pleasant to look at but my real concern is functionality.

I don't want an OS that is the equivalent of a US news anchor, Hair, Teeth and Voice and nothing upstairs.

macOS and eventually Linux have to work for their living. macOS is not just a pretty face, its got a heck of a lot of smarts.

https://wiki.debian.org/PackageManagement

51000+ is not enough?,, we need moar!


https://packages.debian.org/stable/

https://wiki.debian.org/DebianRepository/Unofficial


what software do you want?

Fair enough - I certainly like some aspects of Mac OS today which is why I have been looking to ditch Windows 10. In terms of software, there is certainly a lot available in Linux, but it will vary from distro to distro among other things. As I have moved away from app stores and just use apt because I prefer it, it shows as having 58,000+ packages available, but that includes dependencies - if I look by category, it has 128 Amateur Radio packages(!). I tend to read reviews of Linux software online because I don't think an app store in general is the best way to get reviews.

That is bugger all compared with the millions with Microsoft and Apple.

It is not just the number, specific use software and choice in each category, it is the quality and polish. macOS Apps IMHO are disproportionately better written and with far more polish because that is the long time standard set for everything with Apple. Windows Apps are mostly a huge step down, made worse by a grasping commercialism that invades everything and an OS that sets a bad example. Linux reminds me of Soviet era shops, bugger all on the shelves and what there is just barely does what it is supposed to, without thought for the people who have to use it.

There are exceptions, so please don't think I am maligning the good Apps, just there aren't that many and because of the lack of alternatives you are stuck with what there is.

If it were food. Mac would be good Continental and Asian restaurants, Windows would be Macdonalds/KFC/Dennys, and Linux would be yesterday's ham sandwich made by the volunteer Tuckshop mum.

Just did a search just in the Mac App Store, "Radio" returned 240 Apps.

There are plenty of other places to get Mac software, and I am guessing there are vastly more than that for iOS, which macOS users will soon be able to access in upcoming versions of macOS.

THE real question to ask is, is none of the above but:

"What System do Evil Geniuses use?"

Not really sure what you are talking about right now. At least if you talk about iOS, the Android destroys with 90% of the global market. Apple is not great, but some people love it and that is ok. If you want to learn Linux, then please do, but there is little point in bleating (a sheep noise FYI) about Apple stuff really. Apple is not as good as you think it is, but it beats Windows at least. Enjoy.

Not quite right:

https://hostingtribunal.com/blog/ope...-market-share/

I make a distinction between Apple and macOS. I have always loved the genius of macOS, but not so much Apple.

As far as Operating Systems go, I can (and do) compare them side by side, including Haiku. I'm not so familiar with ChromeOS because having played with it I rapidly came to the conclusion it wasn't worth the time, unless you were desperately cheap, or some poor educational user who had it forced on you by a bureacratic bean counter.

Android's success is purely due to being the cheap choice, in fact the only choice for cheap phones. Just like Macdonald's success is not based on merit. Having said that I have an Android phone because It has a better camera.

Interesting, although don't know how they got Linux that high:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJuvKn5j_kE

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzkHlPa1wo8

and this is fun, watch what happens when Microsoft buys out Nokia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w5hXZ0kAAI