Random Thoughts on KDE SC 4.6

[lakerssuperman]

Just thought I'd share some of my experiences with the new KDE SC 4.6. I'm traditionally a Gnome user and more recently have been playing with Unity. I really like it but it is so unstable that I can't deal with it yet. When you have a Core i7 you should be able to watch a simple video clip while moving some Windows around without massive stuttering. I figured I'd give KDE a go since there has been a lot of talk about how much better it has gotten.

The last time I used it was 4.3 or 4.4. It is much smoother now and seems very stable. I generally like the Gnome style apps more with a more streamlined, some would say simple, interface. Everything is very fluid and the talk about the improvements to KWin seem to be well founded.

Also, Kpackagekit has gotten worlds better. It may not quite be as good as Synaptic but it can do most of the same things and not cause problems.

I'm still exploring and finding new things that they have fixed or introduced. I would recommend anyone having Unity troubles give it a go, even if you just install it alongside Unity.

Stay Classy

[Dustin2128]

I like kde 4.6 as well- been using gnome shell for the past few weeks as sort of a resolution (similar to 30 days with ubuntu), but I'll probably end up back in kde's comforting arms before too awfully long.

[lakerssuperman]

I would like to see the default Kubuntu desktop get some better defaults. For example, the default font setup is awful. Anti -aliasing should be on by default and DPI should be set to 96. The fonts look very rough by default when they don't need to. I'd also like to see the KDE guys build in some animations similar to OSX. They could do some great stuff with the effects and Widgets they already have in place.

[ilovelinux33467]

KDE SC 4.6 has been perfect for me. And it just gets even better with KDE SC 4.7 due to be released later this month. I have tried KDE SC 4.7 RC2 on Fedora Rawhide and its really nice IMO.

[CraigPaleo]

I would like to see the default Kubuntu desktop get some better defaults. For example, the default font setup is awful. Anti -aliasing should be on by default and DPI should be set to 96. The fonts look very rough by default when they don't need to. I'd also like to see the KDE guys build in some animations similar to OSX. They could do some great stuff with the effects and Widgets they already have in place.

The font settings are one of the first things I change in Kubuntu. I do the same as you but I also make it 11 pts. 9 is way too small.

KDE has a lot of different effects. Magic Lamp is the equivalent of the Genie. To present windows, go to the upper left corner. I haven't used a Mac since 2008 so I don't really know of any newer animations.

[Dustin2128]

Back in kde- 4.6 is quite awesome. The pause/play/skip commands work globally with amarok running in the tray, among other things. For me, it's the little things like that, that really count.

[kvv_1986]

Also, Kpackagekit has gotten worlds better. It may not quite be as good as Synaptic but it can do most of the same things and not cause problems.

Hi! I don't use KDE anymore, but you should try the Muon Suite which has a Software Center and a Synaptic-like frontend for package management. Together they are as good as Synaptic + USC on Gnome, and miles ahead of KPackageKit.

It is going to be the default in Kubuntu 11.10

[el_koraco]

Go to Application Appearance, Fonts, set hinting style to slight, and subpixel smoothing to RGBA. voila, fonts like in Ubuntu. And Muon is an improved Synaptic clone, +1 for that.

[ScionicSpectre]

I like KDE because it combines the good design ethics of modern interfaces with the functionality just under the surface in Linux. It's typical to find a few 'extra features' all over the place.

Despite this, the applications usually retain a simplified look and feel, making it easy to work with. However, there are simpler programs, which can make it hard to stick with KDE (at least for me, in comparison to GNOME 3).

I'm by no means a simpleton or short of attention, but if I'm not going to take full advantage of a lot of KDE's amazing features, I probably don't need to have them all over my screen all day. I used to be a diehard KDE fan, but GNOME 3's kinda' making everything else look like it's overdoing things. Helps me focus on what I actually care about (which actually happens not to be widgets and buttons flying around, oh my!).

So far as the traditional desktop goes, KDE is definitely the best implementation of it, with the most modern features. As OS X and Windows get more mobilesque, KDE will stand as a monument to the utility of the old style, without the cruft. And hey, they have their mobile efforts as well, so I don't see why KDE won't be around for a very long time.

I'm honestly excited for when Qt 5 comes out, since Qt 4 is already so fast and portable. D: Open software for the win.

[lakerssuperman]

I have my fonts tweaked like some of you have suggested. I was just saying that I think it would serve the project to have that set by default to give a better first impression especially since regular Ubuntu has it enabled.

Some of the animations I am talking about are, for example, the stacks feature of the dock. If you click the stack the icons un-shuffle like a deck of cards and expand to a grid of stacked list.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0xui...feature=relmfu

I don't necessarily think that KDE should simply copy this feature, but these little touches are what make, for me at least, OSX feel so polished. These little touches are what make it feel so smooth and easy on the eyes. It gives the appearance of sophistication which, though purely superfluous, counts.

The last thing I would like to see is a clear workflow in KDE. There are so many ways to accomplish everything that at times it seems a bit overwhelming. It's gotten much much better leading up to 4.6 and I am looking forward to 4.7.