Talking about out-of-the-box configs (which are important because a lot of users run default or near-default), the argument that Linux DEs that ship with distros have a heavy bias towards the Win9X desktop paradigm holds up pretty well. The only odd ones out are GNOME which is iPadOS-like and Pantheon which is like iPadOS with an OS X 10.9 theme applied.

There aren’t any DEs that for example mimic macOS (modern or classic) and the few that do something different (e.g. GNUSTEP, CDE, etc) don’t ship with distros. As far as I know there haven’t been any recent DEs that were designed from scratch based on research from new user trials and usability studies (which is unfortunate; most of data in this realm dates back 20 years or more and could probably benefit from addition of new data from a modern context).

Out of the box configs need to be familiar, and most uses are accustomed to Windows. Doing otherwise is a barrier to new users.

I cannot tell how well the distros that do mimic MacOS do it, but from what you say it is not well enough (at least not Pantheon).

The problem with Pantheon is that it only captures the skin-deep aspects of macOS. Power user features and progressive disclosure thereof (which are a big reason why macOS has a technically capable userbase) are mostly stripped. Like GNOME, it doesn’t support minimizing windows for example and not only doesn’t have a global menubar but eschews menubars entirely, with functions that don’t fit in hamburger menus either getting buried or cut entirely.

Absolutely; recently I realize I wish I'd never learned vim. I use too many other programs that are at least CUA-ish ( http://zim-wiki.org is the most important app I use ) and now I kind of want out. I haven't yet tried Modeless Vim, but that looks like my next experiment.

https://github.com/SebastianMuskalla/ModelessVim

Probably the most annoying inconsistency in any UI - no matter the platform - is which mouse button / modifier keys do you use to pan, rotate and zoom. Both in 2D and 3D there's zero consistency across programs.

> Linux desktop environments are too much like Windows and not innovating.

If we're talking the files+folders paradigm, then there's not much innovation remaining outside of cosmetic changes. Desktop computers are "done" much the same way automobile interfaces (steering wheel, foot peddles, etc) are "done". I think true Desktop innovations would require a paradigm shift or new hardware, like eye-tracking or a BCI.