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Meet The Linux Desktop That Will Outclass Windows 10 And macOS in 2020

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If you haven’t been paying attention to a little Linux desktop distribution called Deepin, it’s time to put it on your radar. Nevermind that Huawei chose Deepin to ship on their MateBook laptop lineup. Nevermind that Deepin Cloud Sync is a killer, forward-thinking feature that every Linux distro needs to adopt. Nevermind that its slide-out control center resembles something sexy and sensible straight out of the future. But looking toward 2020, Deepin is poised to be absolutely stunning.

This is without question the most beautiful desktop environment I’ve ever laid eyes on. I’ve gone from admiring it as an elevated Desktop Linux distribution to downright salivating over it. Every time I revisit the OS, I’m reminded of not just how elegant it is, but that it also boasts that “wow factor” that makes using it feel exciting and not merely a daily necessity.

For me, the UX is more intuitive and more enjoyable than macOS and Windows 10. And fortunately, a quick setting can also transform Deepin to resemble the traditional Windows or macOS desktop paradigms you’re already comfortable with.

Hell, even the installer is a breath of fresh air:

But let’s take a peek at what’s coming next.

This week, the Deepin Linux Youtube channel quietly released a preview of its Deepin v20 Launcher (just one component of the forthcoming OS), and it’s bound to turn some heads. Take a look:

It’s merely a tease ahead of this November’s expected Deepin v20 beta release, but the Deepin developers have apparently devoted most of 2019 working on the upcoming version. From the category-driven app browser and animations, to the basic desktop layout we see in the teaser video, things appear quite polished already.

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Deepin extends beyond being a Linux distribution, though (and yes, it’s available in English and 31 other languages). It’s also a standalone desktop environment that you can install on top of any current Linux distribution. Deepin has been integrated into openSUSE, Manjaro, Gentoo, Fedora and Ubuntu among others.

If you’re feeling adventurous, give it a spin. It’s difficult to grasp how slick Deepin is until you’ve seen it in motion on your PC. Every element is thoughtfully designed, up to and including the wallpaper chooser.

I’m not kidding, even Deepin’s system monitor app is gorgeous:

There’s not much info circulating yet about Deepin v20, but we do know it will be released in some iteration this November and will almost certainly be based on Debian 10. The November date is probably an early developer / beta preview, since Deepin’s major version numbers correspond to the initial year released (Deepin 15 = 2015, Deepin 20 = 2020).

Deepin 15 has seen eleven updates since launching, and nearly all of them have introduced noteworthy features and improvements to an already polished desktop OS. It’s available to download at Deepin.org. Don’t feel like installing it? Try playing with it right from your browser!

2 Articles Explaining Why I Prefer Linux:

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