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KDE 4.0 Is Out!

Released last Friday, the latest version of KDE has hit the Linux world. After the release of Trolltech's QT 4, it was only a matter of time before the newest version of KDE would come out. Sporting some glitz and glammer from current distros of Linux, the KDE 4 interface is welcome advancement in the desktop world.

In the Linux world, there are two major desktops: KDE and Gnome (there are several less popular desktops as well). Gnome is probably still the more dominant of the desktops; the most popular Linux distribution, Ubuntu, defaults to the Gnome desktop, though you can install Kubuntu or the kdesktop package, if you want to try out KDE with the Ubuntu system; commercially, only the Gnome desktop is currently supported.

The KDE 4 interface includes a new kickoff menu, which if you used OpenSUSE's interface, you'll be quite familiar with it. The kickoff menu includes search capablility and a navigation tool that allows you to quickly find your applications by a series of of categories; for example, Evolution (the e-mail application), would be found under the submenu Internet, followed by the sub category E-mail. The search bar lets you type in the name of an application or its description, after which, any available applications matching that search criteria will be available to you.

KDE 4 also includes more transparency, which albeit unnecessary eye candy, it's a favorite of desktop solutions, such as Compiz Fusion, and it's a great way to show off just how pretty your Linux desktop can be. A lot of people are still under the impression that the Linux desktop is uglier compared to its counterparts: the Mac and Windows desktops. From personal experience, I can say if this was ever the case, it's certainly not anymore. A new file browser, called Dolphin, in addition to showing thumbnails of images, lets users add captions and ratings to their photos now. Vector graphics are playing a stronger role in the desktop as well; vector graphics give the user the advantage of sizing applications to nearly any size without a loss of resolution.