You do understand that Desk and Scrivener are not really in competition, right? Or do you also lecture Miata owners about how they're cute vehicles and all, but they should really know that Miatas are terrible for long-distance cargo hauling?

(Edited...) I'm not particularly enamored of "minimalist" writing apps, either -- I'd really like to see a prose-focused editor with modern design sensibility with the editing capability of Nota Bene for DOS two decades ago (which, it's worth noting, Scrivener lacks as well) -- but you're being unduly snippy about it, I think. I write and even occasionally sell stories that are, in fact, written in Markdown in relatively minimal editing environments. Not every story needs research folders, timelines and an index card view.