The desktop interface brings greater ease-of-use and a consistent interface to UNIX. This provides many advantages to both end users and application developers. Among these advantages are:
An easier to use interface enables users to learn the system quickly and use it efficiently.
Consistency between UNIX platforms enables users to move from one computer to another with minimal difficulty. It also enables programmers to write a single application that can be compiled for each platform, significantly reducing development effort.
The desktop provides as much consistency as possible with the Microsoft Windows and IBM OS/2 environments. This enables users to easily move between these environments and the desktop.
Unlike many competing operating systems, several built-in productivity applications enable the desktop user to be productive before buying application software.
The desktop specifications have been submitted to the X/Open standards organization, ensuring that desktop is "open" and will not tie the user to proprietary solutions.