Gnome is way simpler to use than Windows. If you let grandma or a kid with no prior Desktop experience, I’m pretty sure they will find Gnome more intuitive. The problem is that it is too different for a Windows user, so the switching cost is high.

I very much doubt that they will, because Gnome heavily uses the obnoxious UI paradigm where controls are hidden away, and you need to perform "magic gestures" (like moving the mouse cursor into a corner) to even get them to show up.

I don't even understand why they thought it would be a good idea. On mobile there is at least the justification that it helps keep the valuable screen estate for "important things" (although anecdotally I've seen how much more my mother and grandmother both struggle with button-less iPhones because they can't remember the gestures). But on the desktop, even on laptops, it is a very weak argument.

Intuition is based on prior exposure. What exposure do i need to understand GNOME?

For example, how am i supposed to discover how to maximize a window?