I use Mac a lot too (I do use pretty much all platforms every day). But I don't use Launchpad for the same reason. I don't find it fits well on my big 24" screen. I don't want huge icons spread out over the whole thing, same issue I had with Windows 8.
Instead, what I do is I add the Applications folder to the dock and set it to pop-up grid mode. That way it provides a nice start menu. Incidentially this was pretty much how 'things worked' in earlier versions of macOS. In the oldest versions you'd just get a finder window with your apps, and when Stacks came in Leopard (IIRC) this became the de facto 'start menu'. They later introduced launchpad as a unifying thing with the iPad but I just don't think full screen interfaces work well on large screens.
Also using spotlight is a handy way of launching apps. I use both together a lot.
And yes I totally agree that the minimised windows are hard to spot on macOS, and so is the dot to see which program is running or not. Apple has been tuning down this dot a lot over the years because they don't want users to care about it. It used to be a perfectly serviceable triangle in Tiger and went downhill from there.
And yeah I don't think the point is them preventing Linux either. Even if you have a TPM you still retain full control and can still add your own secureboot keys if you want to.
Holy hell, how did I not realize that re: app folder. I think maybe the qualm I had was that the placement is centered to the right, and I can't replace Finder app's position with it? I know I tried alias folders and hated it for some reason. Thank you for that, it's an improvement :). And yea launchpad is just my nightmare, I actually don't mind blowing things up with some padding, I use the scaled 1280X800 on my MacBook at the moment - and even then launchpad just disturbs me because of the effort required to navigate, and lack of real customization.
On the other hand, MS consistently seems to develop the most attractive (at least, in principle with the bordering and sidebar menu for navigation with highlighted selection - all very cognitively "native" if you will) ways of striking a balance between aesthetics and function. Frankly I think it looks better than MacOS due to the contrast, but the typography feels off IMO.
Now in fairness re consistently: I do think the old settings app of W10 was bad, I often forget how horrible navigation is - one feels much more "trapped" if you will than in their W11 version. W11 version should scale well, too.
I am still curious how their ARM64 efforts will shake out. What're your thoughts there? MS have to hedge between architectures so the chicken and egg issue is certainly salient unlike with Apple for whom the success was all but guaranteed.
Instead, what I do is I add the Applications folder to the dock and set it to pop-up grid mode. That way it provides a nice start menu. Incidentially this was pretty much how 'things worked' in earlier versions of macOS. In the oldest versions you'd just get a finder window with your apps, and when Stacks came in Leopard (IIRC) this became the de facto 'start menu'. They later introduced launchpad as a unifying thing with the iPad but I just don't think full screen interfaces work well on large screens.
Also using spotlight is a handy way of launching apps. I use both together a lot.
And yes I totally agree that the minimised windows are hard to spot on macOS, and so is the dot to see which program is running or not. Apple has been tuning down this dot a lot over the years because they don't want users to care about it. It used to be a perfectly serviceable triangle in Tiger and went downhill from there.
And yeah I don't think the point is them preventing Linux either. Even if you have a TPM you still retain full control and can still add your own secureboot keys if you want to.