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KDE 4 Impressions

I have been anticipating the release of a stable version of KDE 4 with my distro of choice which happens to be Kubuntu. Kubuntu 8.04 provided just that. Just to be on the safe side, I installed Kubuntu 8.04 with KDE 3.5.9 as a base and added KDE 4 later. Here are my first impressions of KDE 4:
  1. It has a lot of eye candy and look of sophistication. If you like style (over substance), you will be very impressed.
  2. It is nowhere as customizable as KDE 3.x!! Some of the options you select don't get used either. What I have always loved most about KDE over GNOME and other desktop environments is the fact that it has so many configuration options that make it possible for users to customize their desktop well. KDE 4 provided very few customization options. My hunch is that later versions will incorporate more control knobs because KDE without its many configuration options will note succeed.
  3. KDE 4 didn't appear to be a memory/resource hog despite its sophisticated look.
All in all, I would give it a B+ for looks and style and a C- for function and customizability for an overall grade of C+/B-. There is a reason most distros are moving cautiously in switching to KDE 4. May be in 6-months or a year, KDE 4 will replace KDE 3.5.9 successfully.
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