Kubuntu has a desktop that looks professional and comes with detailed GUI functionality and all of the basic applications that you’re likely to need. We agree with the decision to stick with generic options where they are superior to KDE alternatives, but we also love using the KDE and Qt programs that make up the bulk of the smaller tools. These smaller tools and the configuration options have a high level of consistency in how they look and work. There’s nothing wrong with the grab-bag approach of a cobbled-together Linux system, if that is what you prefer, but Kubuntu feels like a coherent, professional desktop with a lot of features, in a similar way to either Mac OS or Windows.