Gnubie Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 I have tried both, and I greatly prefer KDE. I find it easier to use, and it seems to have more features. Maybe I am missing the whole picture though. Can any experts on the two desktops offer a brief overview of the advantages and disadvantages of both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VeeDubb Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 Well, I may be no expert, but I also perefer kde. It's no anything in particular that it does or doesn't do, it's just that I find it more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonMage Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 Sheesh.. isn't this thread was done a couple of weeks back? :) Anyway, I am a KDE user. If I don't have the memory though I will switch to something lighter like icewm or xfce. Gnome 2.4 tempted me but when I found out that it actually take more memory than KDE, I switched back to kde. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ixthusdan Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 I also like kde because of the gui. I am also tempted by the new gnome 2.4, again because the gui is slick! I am very familiar with kde. I like the tools in kde better. I can configure it without messing with any files. Other desktops can look gui as well, but you need to do some manual adjustments in configuration files. That's not a bad thing, it's just not gui! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uiler Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 (edited) I have tried both, and I greatly prefer KDE. I find it easier to use, and it seems to have more features. Maybe I am missing the whole picture though. Can any experts on the two desktops offer a brief overview of the advantages and disadvantages of both? I also prefer KDE over GNOME. I used to use them both equally, both with the 3.* series, KDE just seemed to pull ahead of GNOME in terms of usability. It's the little things, like having a decent file manager, integration with all the KDE programs, a decent save file dialogue, bookmarks in the terminal and save file dialogue that just make things easier. Also initially the GNOME terminal didn't have tabs. This was also around the time GNOME 2.* came out and it was initially a mess. Rather than being a transition from GNOME 1.* to a new version it was like they went and re-invented how to do everything from scratch. I don't mean in code but in terms of UI consistency. For example the KDE options have always been in the same place from KDE 2 onwards. But having used GNOME from the 1.* days to GNOME in Mandrake 9.1 (and I used each one for several months, not just a day) it just seemed with every new release of GNOME they keep on changing what options there are and where they put them (not to mention what the GNOME control panel looks like). I noticed that they did this *again* in the GNOME version in Mandrake 9.2. I keep on getting confused with the button order as well. The problem is, if it was all programs I'd get used to it. The problem is I use OpenOffice, Mozilla, KDE and GTK1 programs as well, and so you keep on getting confused as to the button order. I understood they put it in because they thought it was easier than the other way round and that may be the case - if only they could convince the OpenOffice, Mozilla and KDE people to follow them, otherwise it just makes things more confusing. KDE also used to be much uglier than GNOME, but with KDE 3.* some very beautiful themes and options came into being whilst with GNOME 2.*, it still looks nice, but there just doesn't seem to be the range of different themes and styles that the old GNOME had. I heard a reason for this is that with GNOME's lack of an option to change colours easily, so a lot of GNOME themes are just a single theme re-coloured. And Nautilus has to be the buggiest, most resource-hungry, featureless file manager program I have ever used in my life. Everytime I use GNOME I try using Nautilus for a while before I give up in disgust. I can't think of a single good thing to say about it except I prefer how the thumbnails look in Nautilus over Konqueror. The Windows 98 file manager was better than Nautilus (except for the lack of thumbnails). Anyway with Mandrake 9.2 I had a look at the new GNOME and I had thought of trying it again, but then I thought, going from KDE to GNOME I'd lose a good file manager (to be replaced by that pile of rubbish known as Nautilus), I'd lose the file saving dialogues and bookmarks and I'd have to learn where they decided to put the options (and what options are available) this time round and I'd lose the tight integration that's a hallmark of KDE. And there's nothing in GNOME that I can't do in KDE. And now I've worked out how to get GNOME themes to work in KDE, I can use GNOME apps happily in KDE. Edited November 8, 2003 by Uiler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOlson Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 I use Gnome because it looks more consistent, stuff just works properly and how you would expect it to work, it's not overly complex and redundant... I don't know... I just used to hate it, and used to swear by KDE, but now I just swear at KDE. ;) Well, not quite. Both are great, but I just like GTK2 stuff and therefore Gnome, better. Whatever floats your boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tyme Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 I like GNOME because I like GNOME, I can't explain to you why, nor do i aspire too. It's just what I like. I don't like KDE because I just don't like KDE, it's ugly to me. They have so many advantages and disadvantages to each other that in the end it's just a matter of which one you feel at home in. Do you need a better criteria? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOlson Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 Okay, now that winking smiley just looks dumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liquidzoo Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 I used to use KDE on both my laptop and my desktop and swear that I'd never switch to anything different... That was then. Now I'm using GNOME 2.4 on my desktop and Fluxbox on my laptop. I switched because I was looking for something different. KDE is nice, especially when mated with slicker as a replacement/addon to the default kicker. But I prefer what GNOME gives me. You can see the differences in my screenshots. KDE on my desktop and on my laptop. Both are nice and clean looking, but I prefer the way my Gnome apps are mated together on my desktop. If I had my choice, I'd go fluxbox all the way, but that's for another thread. In the end, it all boils down to what you like. If you like KDE and are familar with it, stick with it. If you're not really sure, but still want a full DE, why not give GNOME a try? You can always go back if you really don't like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gowator Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 I think it depends what applications you want to use. Most of the arguamanets that KDE is SLOW are overstated. (Im actually writing this from Fluxbox but what the heck) KDE uses a LOT of reusable code and gets more efficient the more native applications you are running. Note that doesnt mean faster it just makes more efficient reuse of memory and code On a laptop with limited screen acreage you might never open enough to make it worthwhile so you are down to look and feel. On a dual screen desktop however you might !!!! Its also a bit of reverse logic.... involved. Becuase of the design you take little perfomance hit using a Gtk app in KDE but you do starting a Qt/DCOP enabled app in Gnome. So running Gnome desktop and 15 KDE apps is pointless IMHO... Wheras KDE running GIMP etc isnt .... In the end I would just go with what you feel comforatble with and leave it at that.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphitus Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 OROBORUS! <-------------- What a productive 1200th post. :D :lol: :P :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DOlson Posted November 8, 2003 Report Share Posted November 8, 2003 Actually, thinking back on it, the actual reason that I decided to definately keep Gnome and not go back to OpenBox/idesk, was that I am able to drag pictures into Gimp from the desktop and file manager... Somthing I couldn't do with KDE last I tried. Yes, it was that impressive to me... That's one example of how things should just work. I know, Qt vs GTK2, but whatever. That's why I use Gnome. That and it's hot. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul_Vandenberg Posted November 9, 2003 Report Share Posted November 9, 2003 I use KDE. I like GNOME, but the fact that colours can't be changed easily is a huge drawback for me. What if I like a theme with its widgets, window decorations and whatnot, but I just want to change a titlebar colour? Can't be done easily in GNOME. It's a small thing, granted, but it just bugs me. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darkelve Posted November 9, 2003 Report Share Posted November 9, 2003 I like KDE, but I must say I'm still running Gnome version 2.2 KDE's a lot more configurable through its configuration tools and seems completer to me. Lots of bells and whistles, maybe, but at least when you want to 'arrange icons by grid' on your desktop you can do it. I dunno if Gnome has that ability, but in Gnome 2.2 I never found it. Either it's missing, which means to me it is less usable, or it is hidden, which means they hid it so well it is -well- les usable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarah31 Posted November 9, 2003 Report Share Posted November 9, 2003 xfce4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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