Why KDE4 is so great

[belovedmonster]

I just sat through the entire KDE4 launch keynote which explains all the under lining new technology that sits behind all the new eye candy and it is really exciting to see where open source is going. If anyone didnt think KDE4 brought many changes you need to watch this... really made me open my eyes and take notice. Like KDE4 apps running on Windows and OSX is gunna be huuuge!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 5420&hl=en

[Husse]

Unfortunately it's more like a beta than a final version according to what I've read

[belovedmonster]

It is very buggy still yes, but there's gunna be a couple of relases before the summer to help with that.

The point of this post though is when KDE4 was released a bunch of people saw screenshots and videos and shrugged their shoulders as if just the visual changes was all that had changed, but as this video explains they have completely modernised the way the engine works below that GUI and its quite revolutionary in places. More than anything though it makes you realise just how easier its gunna be to do KDE4 apps in the future, especially since they will run natively across all platforms.

[belovedmonster]

Everyones favourite software site Ars Technica has just put up their review of KDE4.
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/kde-40-review.ars

Conclusion is on page 7
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/kde-40-review.ars/7

[Kynan]

I just sat through the entire KDE4 launch keynote which explains all the under lining new technology that sits behind all the new eye candy and it is really exciting to see where open source is going. If anyone didnt think KDE4 brought many changes you need to watch this... really made me open my eyes and take notice. Like KDE4 apps running on Windows and OSX is gunna be huuuge!

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... 5420&hl=en

Thankyou so much for this link, i watched all the videos there, truly amazing stuff, i think i'll be converted to kde in due time (i still think that K start-type button is fugly tho.)

[yamawho]

Thanks for the link

[molom]

Is gnome ever going to make a whole change like KDE has? KDE is going to replace gnome very quickly if gnome doesn't make any changes and I can't imagine whats going to happen when the stable release of E17 is released. I think if gnome doesn't change, I think KDE4 and E17 are going to take over the Linux DE market. E17 for slow and high end computers and also KDE for high end computers. Unfortunately I think Gnome isn't going to last long, KDE is going to be stable at KDE4.2 and OpenSUSE is already implementing the new KDE structure with there apps like the installer - http://linux.wordpress.com/2008/01/22/n ... g-release/ .

Cheers,
molom

[NoClue!]

The mother of all comb-overs or too busy working on 4 to get a haircut?

While I admire their lofty aspirations, it seems like they are looking for a life line from the community. Hopefully it can be saved.

[belovedmonster]

Gnome is backed by the biggest names in Linux (Ubuntu and Redhat amongst others). I don't see it dying anytime soon, unless they completely fall behind the pack, but even then it would be a long drawn out death.

From reading the Gnome roadmap last night they have no plans on doing a huge overhaul of the under the hood stuff anytime soon in the same way KDE have done with 4.0, instead Gnome claim that they can introduce new technologies as and when they are available. I guess there's a definite advantage to slowly introducing new technologies, but at the same time some of these things KDE4 introduces are going to make KDE so much better under the hood than Gnome, they are in danger of being left behind.

Especially since a year from now KDE apps are all going to be running fully native on Windows and OSX. Why develop a gnome app when you can have better under the hood stuff with KDE and with a few lines of code make the app run on every OS out there. This is a huge advantage for KDE.

[Kynan]

The mother of all comb-overs or too busy working on 4 to get a haircut?

hahaha yea if he dyed it black he could be emo.

[NoClue!]

I kan't wait to see the letter k abused on windows and mak.

[molom]

I kan't wait to see the letter k abused on windows and mak.

When they port K3B to Windows and Mac, I am certain that is going to destroy Nero and especially Toast. I don't see and other apps that are very useful that KDE can port, Koffice isn't much of a big deal because Open Office is already available for Windows and Mac.

Cheers,
molom

[dracorX]

You don't see any apps that would be good to have ported? Sorry to disagree, dude.

What about:
-Amarok
-Kontact (Outlook is just too dangerous)
-Kopete (is a really good all in one messenger, at least for me)
-Dolphin (really superb file manager for me)
-Digikam (I really like it very much)

Well, I see a use in porting such apps.

I also agree that the installer mentionned seems to show, that the dominance of gnome might not last forever...

[molom]

You don't see any apps that would be good to have ported? Sorry to disagree, dude.

What about:
-Amarok
-Kontact (Outlook is just too dangerous)
-Kopete (is a really good all in one messenger, at least for me)
-Dolphin (really superb file manager for me)
-Digikam (I really like it very much)

Well, I see a use in porting such apps.

I also agree that the installer mentionned seems to show, that the dominance of gnome might not last forever...

Kontact - I don't see anything wrong with outlook, its a good app, but I still wouldn't want to pay the money. Spicebird is going to be the BEST once 1.0 is released ( http://www.spicebird.com/ )
Kopete... No thanks, I prefer Pidgin
AmaroK - GO FOR IT
Dolphin... Never will happen and never will be used, I don't even think you can change the default file manager in Windows
Digikam - I would like it, but Picasa is still pretty good on Windows

[belovedmonster]

Openoffice on the Mac is junk so a native Koffice might attract a following.
Amarok is always touted as the best jukebox out there so that might find a following on Windows.
Kopete supports webcam and voice chat, Pidgin doesnt.
K3B could become the de facto free alternative to Nero and Toast.
The Mac lacks a simple DVD shrinking app ala Windows only DVDShrink, so K9copy could be a popular app.
The list goes on...

Really it is missing the point though to think that KDE apps are gunna be ported and thats the end of it. What makes it exciting is all the new apps that are gunna be made...

In the future thanks to KDE4 a developer is going to be able to make an application (commercial or otherwise) which can be ported to every other platform natively with just a hand full of changes to the code. This is huuuge! Not only for Linux but for software development in general.

[molom]

Openoffice on the Mac is junk so a native Koffice might attract a following.
Amarok is always touted as the best jukebox out there so that might find a following on Windows.
Kopete supports webcam and voice chat, Pidgin doesnt.
K3B could become the de facto free alternative to Nero and Toast.
The Mac lacks a simple DVD shrinking app ala Windows only DVDShrink, so K9copy could be a popular app.
The list goes on...

Really it is missing the point though to think that KDE apps are gunna be ported and thats the end of it. What makes it exciting is all the new apps that are gunna be made...

In the future thanks to KDE4 a developer is going to be able to make an application (commercial or otherwise) which can be ported to every other platform natively with just a hand full of changes to the code. This is huuuge! Not only for Linux but for software development in general.

I think skype is the main app for video chat and voice chat, I don't know anybody who uses MSN for business purposes, so I don't see a point in Kopete, when there's pidgin. There is already an alternative to DVDshrink by a company called slysoft, but its commercial and DVDshrink is discontinued so K9copy is a really good app for Windows. I will use most KDE apps on Windows.

What KDE needs to start developing is a proper Video editor and Music Maker like garageband (A mac iLife app) to even get better. This KDE porting could really destroy Microsoft, most people who use Windows for home uses (Music, Video, Internet and MS Office) will ask themselves 'the only thing thats holding me is MS Office, why not just make a little risk and move to Linux?'.

The only thing I would recommend to KDE is to remove the annoying 'k' emphasis in their apps, even names make people less tempted to touch an app. By the way, I don't think AmaroK will really get popular for Windows, people are so into their ipods, which means they think iTunes is the best piece of software for their ipods.

Cheers,
molom

Cheers,
molom

[belovedmonster]

What KDE needs to start developing is a proper Video editor and Music Maker like garageband (A mac iLife app) to even get better.

Even with unlimited money to spend you simply cant buy a music app that is as good as Garageband (in terms of ease of use). I should know, I'm gunna buy a Mac just for this application. I think it's gunna be years and years before Linux has anything approaching Apples iLife suite. Hell, I think its gunna be years before Linux approaches OSX. For me Apple make the best user experience by far.

But on the plus side, because of KDE4 a developer could now start a Garageband type application and write it on a Mac without knowing a single thing about Linux, and because its developed in KDE4 it could then be ported to Linux with a few lines of code. This is clearly the future of software development. OS agnostic development.

[civint - too lazy to log on]

The only downside I can see will be having to have advd for kde4 live distros...a la ubuntu..at least in mint it is large enough to warrant a dvd release over the gnome cd release.

I agree that an OS agnostic approach is what we need but it's not plractical in any area other than open source as far as I can see, developers would want to make sure that it was specific, for example, MS in unlikeley to take it up, since their software would want to be able to used on windows (al la media player, etc.) and as far as maxs are concerned.. well the less I have to say about their closed interest, despite what I veiw as piggy backing off the OS community (with the use of a unix like system, but refusing to port some apps, like itunes, or whatever to other unix like systems, since they are similar under the skin.

[belovedmonster]

I disagree, this stuff will be used by commercial software makers. Theres gunna be loads of indie developers and small software companies making use of this stuff.

Why build an app from scratch when you can build it from a mature KDE base and have the added advantage of incredibly simple ports to any OS you want. It makes no commercial sense to invest money in starting from scratch and then spending months porting each time you want to bring it out on a new platform.

[linuxviolin]

I don't see a point in Kopete, when there's pidgin.

Maybe because in Kopete you can have the Personal Messages in MSN...

Personally for MSN I prefer aMSN or Mercury Messenger