While you wait for the KDE 4.3 gates to open, you may be interested in our new buzz.kde.org site, using an experimental "LifeStream" tracking KDE on identi.ca and Twitter, Picasaweb, Flickr and Youtube. Check out buzz.kde.org for the stream for who's saying what about the hottest Free Desktop release this year!
For those following the development of KOffice, one of the first reviews of KOffice 2.0 has appeared at the Tech Radar website. KOffice 2.0 is the platform release for the KOffice 2 series, and as such, is not yet appropriate for all users. From the article: "Free software is often developed with the mantra 'release early, release often'. This is a great idea, because new tools can be tested, trialled and critiqued as they're developed [...] Many of the elements in KOffice 2.0 show great promise and we look forward to testing the suite once more when it's ready."
Bruce Byfield looks closer at KDE's development process and compares it to our friendly competition at GNOME. Byfield looks at the potential of both platforms in the long run, and asks the question: "... which developmental approach is likely to be most successful in the next few years?"
In the article, Bruce provides some good insight into the big picture that lies behind the move to KDE 4 technologies and how they are unfolding their potential: "Reviews about KDE are not always positive, but they are about large issues and shifts in the desktop paradigm. Reading them, you cannot help but come away with the impression that KDE developers are headed in a definite direction, even if you disagree with some or all of the details."
Linux Format magazine has unveiled its annual Reader Awards (PDF) for 2008 and KDE won a 'landslide' victory in the category of Free Software Project of the year in recognition of the 'incredible' work done with KDE 4. Amarok, Qt, Konqueror and the KDE-based Asus Eee PC were also recognised in the awards. Read on for more details of the KDE related successes.
KDE 4 saw the introduction of NEPOMUK, the foundations for the "Social Semantic Desktop". The idea behind Semantic desktops is to make it possible for computers to identify meaningful relations between files and real-world
people and relationships. These relations can then be exploited to help the
user find their data. Read the full MIT Technology Review article on the project to learn why it "might be the semantic desktop that
Another review of the upcoming KDE 4.1 was published at polishlinux.org. The review features the Panel's new configuration tool, the folder viewer, Gwenview, Marble, Akonadi and others. As usual it comes along with many screenshots.
Ryan Paul over at Ars Technica is at it again, this time with an early review of KDE 4.1 Alpha 1.
Linux Tech Daily has an interview with Sebastian Kügler. The e.V. board member talks about his work on the Marketing Working Group, what was exciting about the release event, the improved release process and what he is looking forward to in KDE 4.1. On how you can help market KDE he says "It might sound a bit scary, representing KDE in your local LUG, but it’s really what KDE is about.
Computerworld interviews Aaron Seigo on life, free software and reinventing the desktop at this week's Linux.conf.au conference. He talks about some of KDE's successes, the targets of the 4.0.0 release, the future of Plasma and Nokia's purchase of Trolltech. He concludes that "The KDE project has never been more exciting".
Markus Mauder on his blog posts a look at the soon to be released KDE 4.0.0 complete with screenshots and a review of some of the significant changes. "I hope you enjoy this preview and come to share my opinion that KDE 4 is going to rock!" He also has an album of screenshots on Picasa that expand on the ones in the article.