Re: Screenshots?

faq
flatforty
contribute
subscribe
configure
search
rdf

main
parent
thread

Re: Screenshots?
by Robert Knight on Saturday 04/Nov/2006, @15:00

You don't need to explain what KDE is.

The KDE project consists of many applications which are useful in their own right. You can introduce people to free software one program at a time, as their needs arise.

For example, one of the things I often do when "rescuing" a problematic Windows box is to install Firefox, and give the client a brief overview of its benefits over what they had before - chiefly that it provides safer web browsing with fewer popup adverts and also tabbed browsing. It is also very likely that there will be some extension for Firefox which provides a nifty feature that is very useful for the person in question. Adblock, spell checkers and the flash blocker are good examples.

A good reason to start with the web browser is that it is where a lot of people spend a lot of their time.

I think that if you were to replace the following applications on a Windows PC with free software, cross platform equivalents you would go a long way to easing the transition to a completely free software environment.

- Web Browser (Internet Explorer -> Firefox / Konqueror)
- Office software (Microsoft Office -> OpenOffice / KOffice)
- Chat program (MSN Messenger -> Kopete / Gaim)
- Music Player (Windows Media Player / iTunes -> Rhythmbox / Banshee / amarok)
- Video Player (Windows Media Player -> Totem / KMPlayer / Kaffeine / Helix )
- Mail program (Outlook -> Kontact / Evolution / Thunderbird )
- Small non-commercial games ( Windows games -> anything in KDE games )

Don't underestimate the importance of the last one. I don't play many non-console games on their PC, but many of my friends do.

Related Links

·   Articles on Developer
·   Also by Robert Knight
·   Contact author

The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whomever posted them.
( Reply )

Re: Screenshots?
by Hartmut on Saturday 04/Nov/2006, @19:42

- video editor?
- Flash editor?

[ Reply To This | View ]

Re: Screenshots?
by AC on Saturday 04/Nov/2006, @21:26

I was the original poster of the comment wrt Windows port.

Basically I'd say why port to Windows? Because you can! Not only that, also because now with QT4 it is easier and possible. There has been KDE/Cygwin and I ran it before.

(And yes I have ran many KDE and GNOME releases on various OSes from the beginning ages of KDE 1.2.x)

Sure, there are some people who wouldn't switch, nor run it, nor like it, etcetera. Some would though. Some run Linux AND Windows. Some HAVE to run Windows. For their work for example. If you can run Linux for your work, hobby, from your parents basement, good! Not everyone can though. Keep it in mind.

Now, Windows lacks a good browser. There if Firefox, but Konqueror could compete here (as there is Safari which killed IE for Mac). OO.o/GIMP could use competition too. Imagine KOffice on Windows.

Many GTK programs run on Windows (I use them daily). Hardly any QT programs run on Windows though. I feel this is a missed opportunity by the KDE/QT people and I thought that with QT4 for Windows they realized that. Maybe they did and I speak too fast, who knows.

People who run say Firefox on Windows would be familiar with Firefox on Linux. The same would be true for Konqueror. That is just an advantage.

(And Explorer sucks TBH and LiteStep wouldn't cut it.)

[ Reply To This | View ]

Re: Screenshots?
by AC on Sunday 05/Nov/2006, @02:56

>>Hardly any QT programs run on Windows though.

Lots of Qt application run on windows, but as user most of the times you won't notice that your actually using a Qt application.

[ Reply To This | View ]

Re: Screenshots?
by AC on Sunday 05/Nov/2006, @05:23

Yeah of course many QT applications run on Windows. That used to be only proprietary (and usually commercially) ones.

Now we can also get the open source and free ones on Windows. Those are the ones I'm refering to, obviously. E.g. Konqueror, Koffice, KDE.

@ Kevin Kofler, thank you very much for the link! Exactly what I was searching for. Seems its still stuck on KDELibs. The Cygwin/X port was more complete. One could actually run whole KDE using that but is just Cygwin/X of course whereas this is native.

Btw, when I switched to Linux I was happy that I had a familiar browser back then: Netscape Communicator (and a bit later, Mozilla although still Milestones). It meant I didn't have to relearn, and I could use this under both GNOME and KDE (back then I preferred KDE). I believe it really does help/contribute. Although they're different projects one could also check out the websites and FAQs of the Cygwin and WINE projects for arguments involving this concept.

[ Reply To This | View ]

The Fine Print: The previous comments are owned by whomever posted them.
( Reply )


		"I tried to play with some toy applications and enjoyed it." -- Werner Trobin
KDE®, "K Desktop Environment", "KDE Dot News", "got the dot?" and the KDE Logo® are trademarks or registered trademarks of KDE e.V. in the European Union, the United States and other countries. All other trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective owners. Comments are owned by the poster. The rest: Copyright © 2000-2008 KDE e.V. for The KDE Project. For further information or comments on this site, please contact the Webmaster.