It's the same programs as kde because it is kde and it's got kubuntu underneath it..However "Boo" the aussie that heads up Mint KDE, does a beautiful job in polishing, tweaking, and adding excellent mint packages that we love from the gnome side of mint, such as the mint software center (instead of kpackage kit), back up tools, and many other handy mint related stuff..It's more elegant looking then kubuntu...
Kubuntu doesn't get much "love" over there, what boo does is give it the "love" and make kubuntu what kubuntu should be in the first place...
I wouldn't say kde has bad programs as compared to gnome..in fact it has some really great programs like: Amarok, K3B, KSnapshot, Kdenlive, K-Mail for example...
and by the way, i am a Gnome old timer that finally got hooked when i tried boo's Mint 9....
If you don't like Kopete, for example, use Pidgin, you can mix programs, you know kde and gnome are cross compatible... I use mostly the kde programs in it but Pan is the best newsreader, so i use that (and that is gnome)...In some cases, gnome programs are better then kde ones and in other cases the kde side has the better programs...
Give it a look and see what you think...Also another advantage of Mint KDE over Kubutnu is just like the Mint Gnome, All codecs are pre-installed....
As far as speed, i think Mint KDE is quicker probably because of tweaks that are done to Mint KDE...
