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There are few set of different Linux desktop environment. I am here looking for the most simple one. My client run a tiny teaching institute. They are going to upgrade their system from Windows XP. They prefer to go with Linux because today we have OS like Ubuntu which are easy to use. But I have to advice them a simple to use desktop environment. I need a lighter one. All pc would be running on Intel Atom processor.
Linux has nice amount of different desktop environment. You can go for KDE. Which looks a bit similar to Windows. KDE offer you simple UI and shortcut icons to choose from. It also offer you set of different widget. It works really well and has a smooth output.
I like two environments. The first is Unity. This is used in Ubuntu and looks simplest to me. Those who switch directly from Windows will find it a bit complicated to use. Unity has a simple interface with a side bar on the left that gives you list of most frequently used applications. It also has a Dash board which has a integrated Search box. In which you can type and locate applications instantly. It is actually a extension of Gnome which is also widely used. The new edition of Gnome is more better this time. If you think Unity is heavy then you can go with Gnome. It is widely used in many Linus distros. And it is very common. KDE is bit heavy. It allows you to have different boxes on screen through which you can launch different software. But it is a bit heavy in terms of interface. The most recent and simple one is Mate. This comes in Linux Mint. Mate offer you a Start Menu. Something very similar to Windows. It is very easy to manage also. It is taken from Gnome 2 and according to me this would the best one to start.
Stick Gnome which will be better. You can use a lighter edition of Gnome that will give you smooth performance and clear output. Most of the Linux distro are quiet lighter on ram. They work well without giving out much performance problem.