[OT] KDE vs. Gnome (was: Is Linux Unix? (KDE))

[Clinton MacDonald]

Mr. Maier:

Francis X. Maier wrote:
> Slightly OT: Just for the heck of it, which do most of the list folks 
> use, KDE or Gnome? I've tried both, but Gnome has always struck me as 
> lighter and easier to use.

No one else has bitten on this thread, so I thought I would throw in my 
two pence.

I have used both KDE and Gnome in both Yellow Dog Linux 3.x and in 
Mandrake 9.2 on a PC. Since KDE is the default on both computers, I have 
used KDE more than I have used Gnome. I have also used BlackBox 
extensively. To me, KDE and Gnome are interchangeable, but BlackBox is 
more "fun" (in the geeky sense).

To be honest, I do not see much difference between KDE and Gnome. Either 
one runs the applications from the other, so application choice is not 
limiting. Both have nice graphical interfaces, decent file browsers 
(both of which crash equally often), unremarkable interface widgets, and 
so on. Both have a bewildering array of options and tweaks (that I 
usually ignore). In my mind, the most significant differences seem to be 
in the organization of the items in the Kicker menu. In fact, if I turn 
on the monitor of my computer, it is usually several minutes before I 
remark to myself, "Oh, I must be in Gnome," or "Oh, right, KDE has this 
Control Panel hidden *here*."

It used to be that KDE used some proprietary libraries and such, and was 
therefore not included in several distributions, but that is no longer 
an issue since the qt libraries (whatever *those* are) now have a 
non-commercial license.

Reviews of the very newest versions of Gnome seem to indicate that it is 
taking a new direction with several interface items, including opting 
for a "spatial browser" (which I favor, and many others abhor). I *like* 
the notion that Gnome has a more integrated and enforced set of user 
interface guidelines, but many of the programs I use routinely (xpdf, 
xmms, etc.) use their own interfaces. Time will tell.

For the longest time I used BlackBox because it was less resource 
intensive. I recommend trying it to anyone who wants a *different* user 
interface experience (BlackBox is not for the shy of command line, 
though, and demands a three button mouse). There were a few routine 
tasks I could not do in BlackBox (honestly, I do not remember which 
ones), so I switched back to KDE. Or Gnome. I don't remember which. :-)

Anyone have other, more reasoned opinions?

Best wishes,
Clint

-- 
Dr. Clinton C. MacDonald | <mailto:clint DOT macdonald AT sbcglobal DOT net>