The buzz about KDE 4.0

[Kimberly Lazarski]

KDE team: you might want to check out this thread: it touches on quite a 
few things I've been disappointed in when running KDE 4.0

http://talkback.zdnet.com/5206-12554-0.html?forumID=1&threadID=49110

KDE's growth may slow as a result of decisions made to dumb certain 
things down like gnome does. The whole reason I use KDE (3.x) rather 
than gnome is it doesn't cripple usability. I found KDE 4 (tried it a 
couple of months ago, I'm glad I image the HDD so I could easily roll 
back. God bless clonezilla!) to be a step backwards; stability was 
limited, and I hate, hate, HATE the fact that the default file manager 
(dolphin) is about as functional as gnome's nautilus. People in that 
thread accuse it of being as bad as Windows Explorer, but it has /less 
/functionality than Windows Explorer. Konqueror in 3.5.x is the /best 
/file manager I've ever had the pleasure of using (I like it so much I 
installed AndLinux on Windows workstations just so I could use konqueror 
and gain access to kio slaves like fish:// and ftp://)  - it is 
extremely capable and configurable. Also, I missed the desktop/folder 
metaphor. I put current and ongoing work on my desktop, and most other 
people I know (on Macs, Windows, and Linux) do the same. Taking that 
away was definitely a mistake. Does KDE4 still lack the 
desktop-as-a-folder metaphor?

KDE has long been known for its flexibility, configurability, and power, 
and dumbing it down to be like gnome is a mistake. It seems that 
whenever KDE4 comes up in discussion (on a blog site, messageboard, /., 
BBS, etc.) more people hate it than like it because of dolphin and 
because of the dumbing down of the desktop environment. PLEASE remember 
the modularity, configurability, and power KDE has given the users. If 
you must, dolphin and other apps can stay simple by default, but please 
make it possible for users to turn on power user options (such as an 
editable address bar, tabs, a built in terminal windows) people have 
depended on for so long. I know konqueror is still there, but with two 
separate file managers there will be temptation to not keep konqueror's 
way of doing things up to date, leaving only a very limited file manager.

I'm going to give KDE 4.0 another shot next weekend - Although I keep 
going back to OpenSuSE and KDE for desktop machines, I periodically 
evaluate different distros and desktops, but my first experience with 
KDE4 was a disappointment.

The reason for posting this email list is not to insult or flame anyone, 
so PLEASE do not take offense. It's intended to help encourage you to 
keep users in mind. I was originally going to post it to the kde-devel 
list but this is a more appropriate place.

--Kim

-- 
Biyn logo 	Kimberly Lazarski
Biyn Development * 193 Rockland Street * Hanover, MA 02339
781-826-2601 * www.biyndesigns.com