[mdlug] KDE 4

[Michael Mikowski]

I don't think they are dumbing it down, just they need time to put back features.  This is normal software development, and happened each time KDE has switched versions, although this certainly was the biggest pull-back.  Some features will never come back due to a fundamental redesign.  For example, instead of a separate task bar (as previously mentioned), now one can add as many panels as desired put anything in them.  Yes this is somewhat painful to adjust to, but is a much more elegant and flexible /once/ you figure it out.

I've tried Gnome in the last 3 machines I have purchased (Ubuntu pre-loaded on 2, one I built), and each time, it has been too entry-level for me.  Sure, it has taken me a while to figure out how to do KDE3.x stuff in KDE4.x, but at least I can (for the most part).  The way I see it for configurability:

KDE 3.5 > KDE 4.2 > GNOME (pick any version)

With continued development, KDE 4.x is catching up and, in some areas, surpassing KDE 3.x.  Some examples: wallpapers and widgets are downloadable directly from the configuration interface.  Kontact has a nice bunch of new view configuration features.  Kopete automatically shows your prior chat history for a given contact on new chages.  Give it some time.

I do think the decision to move to Dolphin as a file manager was
misguided.  Konqueror is a fantastic file manager (by some accounts,
the best ever available).  I lobbied a bit against splitting Dolphin around
2005-2006 on the kde mailing lists as I feared it would take away from
Konqueror development and improvements.  And while it almost certainly has,
at least I can still split konqueror into 5 frames and use all sorts of
kioslaves in it.

On reflection, there are some things I really /do/ still miss in KDE 4 vs 3:

- Keyboard control of Konsole (ctrl-alt-M no longer works; there is probably a way to set this, but I have yet to find it)
- dcop.  Supposedly, you can do the same stuff in dbus, but I am having all sorts of challenges.  Either documentation is lacking, or dbus can't do all the same sort of things dcop could.  Either way, it hurts.

On the whole though, I'm sticking with 4.2.  Too much new good stuff to make me go back.

Sincerely, 

Mike


----- Original Message ----
From: Jim Broughton <jbroughton at twmi.rr.com>
To: MDLUG's Main discussion list <mdlug at mdlug.org>
Sent: Monday, January 5, 2009 3:11:03 PM
Subject: Re: [mdlug] KDE 4

Wolfger wrote:
> On Mon, Jan 5, 2009 at 9:16 AM, Raymond McLaughlin
> <driveray at ameritech.net> wrote:
>
>  
>> I agree that the degree of "windows like"ness in appearance is not
>> important. But dumbing down the interface to make it look more like
>> Windows is.
>>    
>
> Funny. I've been saying they've been dumbing down the interface to
> make it more like Gnome...
>
>
>  
I remember the loud cries when they dumbed down gnome. I looked at it
and could no longer find anything from what I remembered gnome to be.
They stuck to their guns and gnome TO ME is no longer usable.
Went happily back to my KDE desktop. I have been a KDE user since 98.
I hope they are not trying the same trick with KDE. I mean how hard is it
just move the stuff to an 'advanced' panel in the configuration options. 
If they
are playing games with it I'll just download the source for the last 
version that
I like and then compile and install it on any future version of 
Slackware that
happens to use the new dumb version.

Jim


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