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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: The Pure KDE Desktop
From:       Fred Malabre <fmalabre () yahoo ! com>
Date:       2002-10-17 4:18:48
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I'm surprised nobody followed up on this, but Socrate brought a good point.
Big companies such as Sun and Redhat chose to suport Gnome.
We may ask ourself why is that? How come big companies don't support KDE?
There are more users of KDE than Gnome (I think, tell me if I'm wrong).
KDE is built on a good architecture, and is now very open (everything in GPL).

Now, let's try to understand what's the plan for a company like Sun for Gnome? 
The future of a desktop on commercial platform (ie Solaris, ...) is certainly 
to built commercial applications integrated in the desktop.
If such a company goes with KDE, they would have to buy Qt, because Qt is not 
released under the LGPL.
I personaly believe it's fair enough, because Troltech did such a good job on 
this library.
Now, a big company like Sun doesn't want to depend on another company to sell 
their software. And this I understand.
And I also believe IBM will not choose KDE for the same reasons. Especially 
because IBM made the mistake once with 
Microsoft already.

The bottom line is: a free desktop will probably need commercial applications 
to survive!

Well, I don't know now otherwiseif I've got the whole picture right, but I 
think it is. Let me k.

Fred.

On Saturday 12 October 2002 02:55 pm, Radu Filip wrote:
> On Fri, 11 Oct 2002, Steve Hutton wrote:
> > So I ask you, how far away are we from a "Pure KDE" desktop - a
> > complete collection of apps that are good enough to make users
> > and distributers create an environment with nothing but fully
> > functional KDE apps?  If KOffice had complete MS file filters
> > (perhaps just by converting to OpenOffice format?), what else
> > would we still need?
>
> My opinion is that no matter how good a product is from technically point
> of view, just it's technical qualities are not good enough for success.
> Recent history is full of outstanding technical products that never was a
> success and with mediocre things that are wide used today.
>
> What KDE need now, desperately I dare to say, it's a partner with strong
> influence in IT world that could support the idea of a "Pure KDE Desktop".
> I mean that major Linux players like RedHat and SUN, are supporters of
> GNOME, while KDE is not supported by any major Linux distributor. Lycoris
> or Lindows will not count too much in long time, in my opinion. Why?
> Because when major IT players will consider Linux reached the critical
> mass was reached (on desktop!), they will get involved and will small
> Lycoris or Lindows will not count.
>
> So KDE needs now lobby, political support. SUN already announced they will
> have a Linux desktop. Based on GNOME, I think, because SUN supported GNOME
> form beginning. And their StarOffice. RedHat was also a GNOME founder and
> never was truly interested in KDE. Then is Ximian, which polished GNOME
> and make it really business ready.
>
> All these are strenght points GNOME, not KDE. Although KDE is technically
> Superior, in my opinion, it needs an alliance. I am not a SuSE user but I
> think SuSE supports KDE by default (correct me if I am wrong). But this is
> not enough. One major Linux player did not took any decision about Pure
> KDE workstation: IBM. I think this is the only chance to get KDE to
> masses.
>
> Otherwise ... Even commercial software does not completely die. Apple are
> "dead", they do not count anymore on desktop. They are used only by a
> small group of fans and that's all. In order to avoid KDE become an
> "Apple" of Linux desktop, some political actions must be initiated as soon
> as possible. If we will think that just because KDE have some good
> technical features is enough to prevail, that will be our deadly mistake.
>
> Socrate


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