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KDE 4 to Support Apple Dashboard Widgets
Ryan writes to tell us Applexnet is reporting that Zack Rusin, a lead developer of KDE, has confirmed that KDE 4 will be able to run and display Dashboard widgets similar to Mac OS X 10.4. From the article: "Basically, this means that a layer (similar in some ways to layers in Adobe Photoshop) in the KDE desktop could function the same way that Dashboard does in Mac OS X. Widgets themselves are not inherently difficult to write nor properly interpret, since they are usually just HTML and Javascript (although Cocoa code can be included, the developer's skills permitting). Furthermore, since Konqueror and Safari share very nearly the same rendering engine, KHTML and WebKit, this too will simplify the process."
They're comparing a 'layer to display widgets on' to Adobe Photoshop? Something really doesn't seem right here.
I'm so glad they're putting so much work into shaving off the bloat in KDE4.
On the topic of OSX, why would anyone want to write commercial software for the OSX market? If your product is successful, Apple will simply duplicate the functionality, include it in OSX, and act like they invented it.
Except, if you read the summary, you'd see it isn't, since OSX widgets can include Cocoa code, which KDE doesn't support.
They *can* include Cocoa code, but it's not required. So you can write a Konfabulator widget and it'll run just fine on OS X, Windows, and now KDE.
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
You're being pedantic.
...says the kid who's pointing out inconsequential, irrelevant "facts". Yeah, ok.
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
Actually, if you had ever used OS X for longer than a few hours, you'd realize that virtual desktops are unneccessary. The Dock and the Finder, along with Expose make window management a breeze. I do agree though that another virtual desktop would work well for KDE; KDE has always been about redundant functionality, shown by the presence of 3 audio players which do the same thing. Another virtual desktop would complete KDE's idiotic design, hopefully reducing its popularity further.
I think this is a Marketing legend.
Mac OS X is great for some people. But you need to justify the prize. And when you are a Unix geek you have to justify your switch to a GUI system. So here post-marketing takes place. You bought it and they give you a reason why: Because it is Unix (?!)
I think for most Apple users this is no reason to use or buy a Mac.
Because for Apple users it is irrelevant whether Mac OS X is build on foosys or Unix. When you run a C64 emulator on Linux which is distributed as a game console to play games you cannot say "this is a real Linux" only because a techie can open a linux console. For the average use it is C64. And for the manufacturer it it was a rather technical choice what runtime plattform he chose. When you look at a diamond you can also think of carbon and sure it is.
But all these Apple freaks which want to belong to the Unix family do not understand that the essence of Macs is not Unix as it was not PPC. And when Apple switches tomorrow to Intel and from BSD to foosys, Apple users will find other silly arguments to rationalise their apple preference.
In my opinion KDE is more productive for me. But it depends. What is the real problem is hardware drivers and configuration stuff. Not difficult to get beaten by the most proprietary plattform. When you do not have to support the whole hardware cosmos things get easier.
Now KDE wants to support the Apple widgets. Nice, I call it interoperability. You can use KDE on BSD as well and then KDE is a "real Unix". But the fact is, it does not really matter.
What matters is that KDE is great and free and Mac OS X is stylish and proprietary. KDE unlike Mac OS X cannot die. But KDE can assist the survival of some parts of the Mac OS X universe. GNUSTEP is one approach. KDE is another approach. The time for a free Mac OS X is close.