Workspaces? You mean virtual desktops? Those date back 1986, implemented at Xerox PARC (and patented!).
As for appstores, I assume you're talking about the packaging systems, which are similar only if viewed from 50,000 feet.
The packaging systems were not stores. You couldn't buy packages. They didn't serve as an agent to sell other people's personally submitted packages. They had "apps" but no "store". The applications weren't sandboxed to make it relatively safe for them to sell 3rd-party submitted packages. The applications were expected to be open-source.
The only similarity to the app stores is that they had a repository of software and an automated installation system used to install it.
Plus the dependencies. With app stores you (usually) get one program and that's it. It works. With package systems you have to install several dependencies for each, sometimes an absurd number (say, 100 packages to get Gnome). And then there's dependency problems (had my share in Debian at older times).
At the core, dependencies are a good thing, although there's downsides to that as well.
I have no experience with desktop app stores, but you wouldn't get Gnome and similar large and complex software from one, would you?
Which makes your comparison pretty unfair.
As for appstores, I assume you're talking about the packaging systems, which are similar only if viewed from 50,000 feet.
The packaging systems were not stores. You couldn't buy packages. They didn't serve as an agent to sell other people's personally submitted packages. They had "apps" but no "store". The applications weren't sandboxed to make it relatively safe for them to sell 3rd-party submitted packages. The applications were expected to be open-source.
The only similarity to the app stores is that they had a repository of software and an automated installation system used to install it.