Ask HN: Why did major desktop OSes settle on a macOS-like taskbar?

Glancing at the new Debian 12 screenshots, I realised that in the past years most major desktop OSes transitioned to a macOS-esque (middle-aligned, bottom) large icon taskbar. Why? Being a fan of the “classic” labeled taskbar, taskbar items with text could provide a lot more info (document or media title, current path etc) and even the elongated click area is larger and more predictable. Also presenting just icons means there has to be a second level grouping if the same app has multiple windows. Touch displays? Should be irrelevant in desktop mode. High DPI screens that demand dense rectangular items? The tradeoff seems to be big to be just that.
Story Published at: June 10, 2023 at 10:55PM