Linus but because he has pointed out correctly that GNOME sucks at functionality. What makes the M$ UI so easy to use is that there are a zillion ways to arrive at the the same result. *Here* the path taken from the starting point to the ending point matters a lot.

I personally prefer KDE too, but niether KDE nor gnome are perfect.

KDE is better suited for advanced users, and is far too bloated than it needs to be. (in fact, KDE developers themselves recognize this, and are now working towards simplifying a lot of interfaces for future releases, theres a whole simpleKDE project as well)

Gnome is the other extreme, its ideas of "Less is More" and KISS are fine in principle, and probably good for a newbie user. But, they tend to use this as an excuse for NOT providing functionality.

My ideal desktop would be something in between A) Not clutter up every window and menu with a million options. Keep the basic, frequently used ones in the main display areas. (KDE's problem) B) Still have "Advanced" options accessible somewhere. (Gnome's problem)