KDE 4.2 Is Released

OhReally writes "It's a great day for Free Software: KDE, the desktop environment for Linux, Windows, Mac, and (Open)Solaris, has just reached version 4.2, exactly a year since the release of 4.0. This is a version suitable for broad usage, with many improvements all across the board, and lots of bugfixes. You can leave a comment or congratulate the developers here."

Comments

first post

[Anonymous Coward]

i win

give up

[Anonymous Coward]

you lost.

A couple of questions

[mangu]

1) does it have the "kde classic" icon theme?
I got used to the look of those icons, why should I change, unless there's a *compelling* reason to do so? (no, your opinion that such and such icons are prettier is definitely not compelling enough for me to memorize a totally different set of icons)

2) does it have the K menu working exactly the same way it did in KDE 3?
Again, it works for me, why should I change unless it's definitely a better alternative?

3) does the taskbar work exactly the same way it did in KDE 3?
ditto

Attention, KDE developers: users do not care how much easier the developer's job has become with KDE 4. If the user's interface changes, it should be for the better. Not slightly better, not better for some people. If it does not become absolutely better for everybody without exception, or, at least, better enough for the vast majority of people, then please do NOT change the user interface.

Remember this, we, the users, do not care for eye candy, we do not care for how much better the system is for developers. We USE the computer, we do not play with it. The computer should HELP us, not get in our way. If we have to learn new things, it should be only things that make our life so much easier it's worth learning new things. Otherwise, let KDE 3.5.9 alone, it's a wonderful system.

Re:A couple of questions

[mangu]

Let me guess: You never actually used KDE 3 and your trolling...

You guessed wrong, I have been using KDE exclusively since 1998, except for my gaming M$ machine. I just want to use my computer to do its job exactly the way it has always done, I don't want to be retrained unless it's an improvement. I think a new user interface is OK, but the old functions should be the default ones.

A new set of icons? Sure, anyone is free to install it. I did import the kde classic icon theme once, I don't want to redo that job again and again just because some developer is too lazy to create a function to import the settings file automatically. The old K menu? It should be there by DEFAULT. Don't like the traditional K menu? Delete it! Do not force people to ADD things or LEARN things just to keep it working the way it did before.

The change from KDE 3 to 4 should have been as smooth as "apt-get dist-upgrade" and then working exactly as before but, from time to time, finding this neat new function that makes one say "wow, this is great!". It should not make one stop everything one was doing until one learns how to configure things.

The problem with KDE developers is that they started thinking KDE is the center of the universe. Well, it isn't. Computers exist to make things easy. I use a computer as a tool, I don't want to be distracted from my job or from my hobby just because some user interface developer thinks he has had a great new idea.

Re:1 question

[the_B0fh]

That's because you're a mucking foron who can't read. 4.0 was not released for end users. 4.0 was released so that all the 3rd party developers can have a framework to develop against. That was why 4.0 was released with a big "not for end users" note.

If your distro used it as the primary environment, then both you and your distro were fools. Else, just you.

Yes! 7P

[Anonymous Coward]

thi5 post up. contaminated while Lesson and Of Jordan Huubard of OpenBSD. How over to yet another of OpenBSD. How appeared...saying is part of the trouble. It

Re:Woah

[the_B0fh]

Gee, I didn't know that Open Source means it takes a decade to take to 1.0. So, if I name you Jurily.0, it's my fault that you suck?

Re:Woah

[melikamp]

Why is this insightful? It's a flamebait. Wine is an exercise in futility 6 days a week and reverse-engineering on Sundays. It's silly to say that its shortcomings are a typical feature of OSS. Also, strictly speaking, Wine is not just OSS, it's FOSS, which makes the parent even less coherent.

Re:Thanks to the KDE 4 Devs!

[Anonymous Coward]

Kubuntu? Beat yourself up much? At least try it on a distro that knows how to put KDE together....

Re:1 question

[HermMunster]

This KDE guy is using hindsight to explain what they did. I don't believe him. They messed up. Even remotely considering a little plasmoid as the desktop was a total joke. I used Linux day in and day out and anything without a traditional desktop metaphor would have been a joke--the KDE guys were trying to redefine against the face of what we all wanted.

I know KDE 4.2 has the option to use a traditional desktop, but you can see by them setting the dinky plasmoid as default that they still believe in their vision. Wrong!

Again, hindsight is the better part of valor. These guys are revising their response to fit what they saw happen, because we here will accept anything, because we know there are thousands (or millions) of opinions that can be voice on the matter.

Re:Future Roadmap

[im_thatoneguy]

Yeah... windows definitely must have ripped off KDE's interface.

Window with Minimize, Maximize and then close in the top right.

A Large application list at the bottom which has a launcher icon on the left. Then some quicklaunch icons and then running applications. Finally on the bottom right we have some notification icons and persistent apps and lastly a clock.

Wait... what's this? Instead of having an address bar they've moved to a bread crumb system?

And is that a Vista st---sorry KDE style gradient on the taskbar I see?

And in the official screenshots are those "My Computer" and "My Documents" Icons I see?

Yep. I'm suprised KDE doesn't sue Microsoft for look and feel infringement. Because Windows is just one giant rip off of KDE.

Re:1 question

[Risen888]

What exactly is this Worldwide Standard Numbering Scheme that people seem to be referring to when they make these comments? Did you pick it, Mr. Coward? Is there a spec for it? Did I miss a big email here or something?