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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: KDE Mindshare (or the lack thereof)
From:       mosfet <mosfet () jorsm ! com>
Date:       1999-03-05 15:03:44
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On kde.org the people who need to read this or something similar won't. A
document needs to be sent to the major computing news outlets explaining
exactly what we are and how we fit into the scheme of Linux desktops.

On Fri, 05 Mar 1999, Leon Widdershoven wrote:
>A very good text, but maybe at some points a little biased against
>RedHat:)

I did not metion RH once, I simply described our advantages (which are
accurate). I don't see it as appropriate to be overly cautious in representing
ourselves, since the reverse is certainly not happening.

>
>I have added some spelling corrections, but further I approve. Would be
>very
>nice on www.kde.org.
>
>
>mosfet@jorsm.com wrote:
>> 
>> On Fri, 05 Mar 1999, Robert Hagemann wrote:
>> >
>> >my shot for buzzword compliance:
>> >KDE :
>> >
>> >Korba-based
>> >Distributed
>> >Environment
>> 
>> How about:
>> 
>> The K Desktop Environment Overview:
>> 
>> The K Desktop environment is designed by a large international group of
>> Open-Source programmers in order to provide Unix-like systems with a
>> object-oriented desktop focused on the end user. KDE is the preferred desktop
>> evironment of the majority of home Unix based vendors and is included in
>> popular distributions such as Caldera, SuSe, SlackWare, and Stampede. KDE users
>> on the internet also account for gigabyte daily downloads on the KDE related
>> internet archives.
>> 
>> Unlike most Unix desktop technologies, KDE started and continues to be the
>> front-runner in applications designed with usability as the primary focus.
>> Whereas most desktops for Unix and Unix-like systems are developed with people
>> already familiar with advanced Unix operating system principles, KDE allows
>> users completely new to the strengths of Unix to take advantage of them in a
>> easy to use and coherent fashion.
>> 
>> KDE's current strengths derive from it's strong Unix based functionality, it's
>> unparalleled stability, and a consistency in user interface design that is
>> sorely lacking in other Unix based desktop environments.
>> 
>> KDE also gains it's strength from the fact that it is truly a independent Open
>> Source project. KDE is sustained by a wide group of developers and companies
>> worldwide and not primarily by a single commercial entity. This assures users
>> of a system truly designed to match their needs and not the needs of one
>> particular business. This avoids problems in software that is funded and
>> developed primarily by a single company where sometimes issues such as
>> marketing prompt unstable application releases, etc...
>> 
>> In addition to the basic desktop functionality provided by most desktops, KDE
>> includes a large variety of everyday applications such as a file manager, web
>> browser, mail and news clients, text editors, and essentially every other tool
>> one would need to begin being productive in the Unix environment. Also of note
>> is the KOffice productivity suite, which is currently under active development
>> and takes full advantage of the technologies listed below.
>> 
>> Of course, being a X Windows based desktop users can take advantage of any
>> Unix/X11 application inside KDE. This includes popular products such as Netscape
>> Cop's. Communicator and Corel's WordPerfect.
>
>Corp's
> 
>> Technologies being developed for the K Desktop Environment include:
>> 
>> Superior internet integration. Almost all KDE applications, from simple text
>> editors and image viewers to large applications like productivity suites, are
>> fully internet transparent. Being a Unix based technology, KDE has been able
>> to attain a much higher and more complete level of internet transparency then
>> other operating system's desktops. KDE is the most advanced implementation of
>> this technology even on the Unix platform, where internet protocols such as FTP
>> and HTTP (WWW pages) originated and are heavily used on a daily basis.
>
>Hmmm. It _is_ true of course, but I still use Netscape and mc if I
>really
>need to do something (except for documentation browsing). And I have
>been 
>using kde for more than a year. There must be some reason for that. 
> 
>> Advanced Corba communication. Applications within the K Desktop Environment
>> can take advantage of the OpenParts object model. Similar in theory to OLE II
>> but based on a non-proprietary API, this allows users to embed applications
>> within documents. OpenParts expands on this model, providing a general
>> framework for applications to interact in a completely object oriented fashion.
>
>Maybe a note that koffice is the testbed for this technology?
> 
>> Modernized libraries to access traditional Unix functionality. KDE is mostly
>> being developed with a focus on C++ and other modern languages like Python.
>> While C++ has been the most common GUI development language on the most common
>> platforms for many years, it has taken some time to gain support with Unix/X11
>> applications. KDE breaks this mold, providing easy to use interfaces that
>> build on Unix and X Window's traditional strengths. This has benefited KDE in
>> numerous ways including modular design, easy application development, and
>> consistency in the user interface.
>
>Maybe a note that classes are not only developed but also documented,
>which
>can not be said for every library:)
> 
>> Of course, since C++ is derived from the C language it is easy to add bindings
>> to other popular languages. Python has already been mentioned, but there are
>> also bindings in development for other languages such as Scheme.
>
>Please mention Perl/Qt. I don't use it very much but Perl is a very
>commonly used
>language, especially with all that CGI stuff.
> 
>> More information on the K Desktop Enviroment is available at:
>> 
>> http://www.kde.org
>> >Ciao,
>> >Robert
>> >.
>
>Leon
>
>-- 
>==================================================================
>Use the Force -                       l.widdershoven@fz-juelich.de
>        Read the Source           Institute of Plasmaphysics (IPP)
>                                    Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH
>-Redhat Installation Manual

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