The big one mentioned by the author is that Windows tends to get continual user interface refreshes. Desktop environments are much the same, though some change

The big one mentioned by the author is that Windows tends to get continual user interface refreshes. Desktop environments are much the same, though some change at a much slower pace. I think the absence of change is a good thing since it allows me to devote time to learning new skills rather than relearning old ones. I also appreciate environments like i3 have less visual clutter. If you were to look at my desktop, you would see precisely six things on it: the application windows, the current time, the battery status, the network status, a list of virtual desktops, and a toggle to disable the screensaver. There is nothing to pull my focus away from the task at hand, not even in the background. Of course, I also have a laundry list of other quality of life features. Most of those features would be pointless to point out since they would be irrelevant to most people. (To give one example of what I mean: configuration is done through a simple collection of text files, so it is easy to carry my configuration from one account to another. This isn't so much a benefit of tiling window managers, since it is true of most window managers. It is better described as a drawback of complex desktop environments.)