I know we're talking "Workstation" not "Desktop" but I also know that one of the goals is that users should be able to do their general computing there too. So unlike the unwashed masses, I'm happy to go through a little extra trouble to make it work, but I'd like the end result to be that it works.
It's clear that there are some different viewpoints about what should happen. But like I've been saying without independent data this discussion is pointless. Until the Workstation WG is willing to engage in exhaustive market research and user-surveys we will talk in circles.
Let's do the following:
+ Conduct large scale user-surveys with technology professionals in the target demographics described in the Workstation PRD such as start-ups, mid-range tech companies, large enterprise such as Google as well as academic institutions about their workflows and what tools they use.
+ Consult IDC and industry research to determine desktop sales trends and other information regarding the workstation market so the Workstation WG can make forward-looking projections.
+ Talk to OEM's and find out what their customers are looking for in a RHEL/CentOS/Fedora based desktop workstation platform.
+ Consult with industry experts at top-tier software publishers such as Adobe or Autodesk and see if they can deliver any insights on workstation use-cases in markets new to Linux.
A great starting point in this discussion is the fact that Microsoft's new CEO Satya Nadella has made a very data-driven decision and decided to go back to the traditional desktop metaphor in Windows 9, the same basic desktop design they've used since Windows 95.
I'm sure you all watched the last Microsoft Build conference and saw the preview of the Windows 9 start-menu running Metro apps in windowed mode and boot to desktop.
Also Apple with it's new design in Mac OS X Yosemite isn't diverging from the traditional desktop design it's used since 2001 despite having a very successful mobile iOS business.
If the Workstation WG group intends on targeting developers using Windows and Mac OS X they have to take into consideration the fact that these developers are used to a very traditional workstation workflow and are unlikely to accept the alien and highly experimental desktop designs in use on Fedora today.