Getting OT here, but I've tended to prefer Gnome apps with a KDE desktop. The latest UI pessimizations in Gnome may having me switch completely away from Gnome, with the "You must click on sub menus to open them" being the final straw.

I concur, KDE applications tend to be more traditional. I don't mean necessarily in style, I think they can look quite good, but rather in form. Personally, I think Desktop software UX peaked maybe 10 years ago so to me this is a good thing. Assuming a typical experience of mouse, full-size keyboard, and monitor. Things do change UX wise when you switch to a laptop IMO.