[telesoft]

Well it's true for me too. The first thing I do when I get a new laptop is try out windows (it's pre-installed) and of course I want to like it but it just doesn't compare to GNOME3... I always end up going back to Linux. And I have used both extensively and adapted to both work-flows and I'd say GNOME3 is superior once you adapt to it.

No you don't need a minimize or maximize button, they are actually useless in the GNOME work-flow, and unnecessary on windows too.

[zingplex]

Could you explain the Gnome workflow and how it doesn't necessitate the use of minimizing and maximizing Windows?

[kaba0]

Not parent, but I personally put relevant (few) windows on the same desktop and switch between them with a 3-finger swipe (which is faster/smoother than what OSX have, which is unbearably slow). On a given desktop I change a window by either swiping up with 3 fingers for a fast overview window, or just press Super. Compared to OSX, this view is not that overcrowded (due to easily having more desktops), so I can actually find what I’m looking for, and they also have icons (try having multiple browsers open in osx and finding the one you want). Super+~, which is the same as in OSX is also great for switching between multiple windows of the same program.

[em-bee]

i keep most windows in fullscreen and use the expose function or how it's called that shows all windows in reduced size to switch. sometimes i put two or three windows side by side if i need to see them at the same time.

i also make use of multiple workspaces/desktops to arrange windows that are related to each other.

so i use the maximize function but never feel the need to minimize windows unless it's a window that i don't need to reopen ever.

[7speter]

From what I’ve seen of desktop environments that try to emulate gnome 3 (and what I vaguely remember of toying around ubuntu ~10 years ago), wasn’t gnome a bit of an attempt to look and feel like Windows?

[kaba0]

I don’t see it. If anything, the new windows is a huge gnome copy.