IBM’s developerWorks has an article about how to create a KDE plasmoid
KDE 4 includes many exciting new technologies, including Plasma, a feature that forms the desktop shell of KDE 4. See how to write simple Plasma applets (known as plasmoids) to greatly improve the desktop experience and how to turn a plasmoid into a simple memory monitor.
Source: IBM developerWorks
January 27, 2009.
The KDE Community today announced the immediate availability of “The Answer”, (a.k.a KDE 4.2.0), readying the Free Desktop for end users. KDE 4.2 builds on the technology introduced with KDE 4.0 in January 2008. After the release of KDE 4.1, which was aimed at casual users, the KDE Community is now confident we have a compelling offering for the majority of end users.
There is a great detailed and lengthy introduction of the new features of the new release of KDE 4. It also contains a lot of beautiful screenshots.
KDE 4.2 screenshot
Computerworld.com has an intereresting interview with KDE developer Aaron J Seigo
Aaron J Seigo worries about client side software, thinks Plasma will challenge Flash, and Apple doesn’t understand the open source development model.
Ars Technica has a detailed review of the current kde 4.0 release. They are covering the new technologies but also the user experience with the new user interface system plasma.
I think they are right with their resumee.
The level of incompleteness apparent in the 4.0 release has, unsurprisingly, drawn heavy criticism from end users here in our forums and elsewhere on the Internet. Several longtime KDE enthusiasts in Ars Technica’s Linux community are particularly disappointed with the extent to which KDE 4.0 falls short of the promised vision.
I’m excited about the possibilities created by Plasma, Solid, and other new features in the KDE architecture, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they help the desktop evolve. I submitted a handful of bug reports while writing this article; developers responded almost immediately. If their diligence and rapid bug resolution rate is any indication, then I think we can be confident that future releases will meet or exceed expectations.
So I share the opinion with them, that kde 4.0 is for enthusiasts and early adopters. Having solid and innovative technical infrastructure help creating great software. Which I’m sure kde 4 will evolve into.
The KDE project received a lot of critique concerning their decisions to do without more beta and rc version of the kde 4 system. So they will publish kde 4.0 in the current state on January the 17th.
The critics are that the new version of the desktop environment system is not fit enough for a 4.0 release. People are aware of missing features and stability in the new version.
Aaron Seigo responds to critics with this blog entry
… KDE 4.0.0 is our “will eat your children” release of KDE4, not the next release of KDE 3.5. The fact that many already use it daily for their desktop (including myself) shows that it really won’t eat your children, but it is part of that early stage in the release system of KDE4. It’s the “0.0” release. …
So if you are eager to try the new version. Do it. There are no showstoppers. But if you are using kde in a productive system and you want no experiments, stay at kde 3.5.8.
Big changes and new features will arrive in the kde 4 versions that will come. But bugfixes will also being developed for kde 3.5.8.
So as always, there is no ONE need for users. Clarify your needs and decice. I think the kde team decided the correct way.
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