this post was submitted on 02 Apr 2026
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Really unfortunate seeing GNOME is part of the problem here. Linux desktop environments shouldn't need to be tied to large RAM requirements, never mind increasing ones, for basic functionality. For example, the Start menu key was introduced by Microsoft in Windows 95, but this toggle still isn't available in most "light" desktop environments like XFCE.
The MacBook Neo, of all things, is chomping at the heels of the idea that pretty, feature-rich OSes need a lot of hardware to function.
I found a lot of flawed measurements which ended up measuring different things. This seems like a fairly respectable measurement even for being a few years old
https://itvision.altervista.org/linux-desktop-environments-system-usage.html
Simple environments like xfce or mate under X11 are around 600 MB. Gnome X 1300MB Gnome Wayland 1400. Seems pretty clear that gnome is a significant factor in the increase on the other hand most machines now come with 8-16
But one of the key points of Gnome is reduced functionality?
If you don't like GNOME, Ubuntu officially supports other, less resource-intensive DEs, like Lubuntu, Kubuntu or Xubuntu
I would prefer something that's light without compromising on things that Microsoft figured out in the 90s and 2000s, and things that modern Apple computers can pull off now.
Apparently GNOME in particular is having a rough time in general, if other articles from ~~the same website~~ omgubuntu are an indicator, but this seems to be a wider trend in desktop environments
Gnome is Javascript that runs in a webview. It's the same technology stack that we make fun of with the Win11 start menu.
It's shit technology. No wonder it requires so much RAM.
Do you actually feel like Windows or Mac are more responsive with the same RAM?
For Macs with 8GB RAM? Yes.
For Windows? It's way worse in my experience, even with debloat scripts, without opening a single thing.
GNOME isn't exactly light, is it? And there's still a few more variants.
The macbook Neo is a pretty powerful laptop, I wouldn't say its a champion of limited computation software success.
The specs are pretty good, but it's still only eight gigabytes of RAM total, and a phone processor, and seems optimized for comfort (cool case temperatures) over performance.