theKompany.com Releases Kapital, a Personal Finance Manager for KDE

Kapital is our personal finance manager package for KDE and Linux. It is meant to be in the spirit of Intuit Quicken or Microsoft Money, but without the bloat associated with those packages from years of justifying upgrades. Kapital has everything you need for managing all your personal finances. Kapital has been tested with various other window managers including GNOME, and will work with them, however our area of focus and support is currently KDE.
[Ed: This is commercial software, see below for price info.]

Kapital features include:

  • Check register for entering and clearing various types of transactions such as checks, deposits, ATM, EFT, etc.
  • Calendar for setting up scheduled payments, used in conjunction with a "Bill Tracker" alarm to let you know that bills are coming due.
  • Check and report printing, including graphics and logos.
  • Basic and advanced searching capabilities and online reporting as well as charts and graphs.
  • Predefined categories for transactions. Include sub-categories, and the ability for users to create and delete new categories.
  • New account wizard that goes through various types of budget scenarios like Single, Married, Married with Children, Single with Children, etc.
  • Import/Export features for Quicken QIF file format.
  • Budget Tracker. The user sets up a budget for various items, and alarms can sound when you come within a threshold, or exceed it for defined time periods, typically a calendar month. This would usually happen when you are entering a new transaction into a category and the amount causes it to exceed the threshold. You can also do charts, graphs and reports that show where you are in the time period for your budget so you can see if you are ahead, behind, or spot on.
  • Check Designer. This feature is very much in development, but you will be able to use a web page to design your own checks and then have them delivered to you as you would with any third party check printing company.
  • Create any type of account to manage. This can be a checking account, savings account, stock, investment, retirement, etc.
  • Online Banking. As we develop partnerships with financial institutions you will get to take more and more advantage of online banking -- with the ultimate goal of having the ability of paying your bills and sending money between various types of accounts all from your desktop.

What do you want to see? Let us know and we'll make your dreams a reality.

The initial release of Kapital will be available as a download by the end of February 2001. As soon as the enhancement requests dwindle to a trickle, we will then burn the CD packages and send the final product to everyone. You will still be able to download free updates until September thus protecting your initial investment for some time.

In consideration for early adopters of Kapital we will be extending a discount on all sales made prior to the actual availability date. Pricing follows for the Standard Edition:

  • $39.95 -- $24.95 if purchased during pre-sales -- download only, all electronic doc.
  • $49.95 -- $29.95 if purchased during pre-sales -- physical package with hard copy doc.

Purchasers of Kapital will be entitled to free electronic updates through September 1, 2001.

A Kapital mailing list for customers will be available as well as support queues. We will answer these support questions as time permits,
for priority response you should take a look at our support services.

You can order online and get more information here.

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Comments

by t0m_dR (not verified)

OK OK maybe I overdid it just a bit :-P

by Robert (not verified)

IBM writes drivers and clustering support. There more interested in enterprise support for linux, and having linux run on there hardware.

Am I the only one that has noticed that Slash Dot has become increasingly Gnome centric? The haven't even carried the the story on Kapital. I'm sure if Kapital was a Gnome based piece of software it would sure be up there. So join me and crank up the heat on em and everybody send them new posts telling them about Kapital. Maybe they'll get the point and relies that KDE is important!!! Kapital is much to important of software to ignore.

Craig

maybe if thekompany created free software (gpl) like ximian and eazel, it would get slashdoted.

The Kompany does create gpl but they need to make money so they can continue to give us more cool gpl software. How can they pay there programmers to create software like kivio and aethera if they can't make money. I appreachiate your idealism but this is the real world. The Kompany is just the kind of allias that KDE needs. The More money they make of cool quality software the more they can contribute to us. They given much to us and now its time we give back. Take alook at this list of what they contribute too.

Aethera

Aethera is a pim application, i.e. it handles all kinds of personal information: email, contacts, notes, tasks, todos, journals. It has various communication features regarding: send/receive email, send/receive task requests and appointment requests via email and it can also send SMSs using web gateways.

Read more about Aethera here. KDB

KDB is a set of libraries that will ease the development of database applications for KDE. It leverages the power of KDE Plugins to access the wider range of available free and commercial DBMS. It also provides a set of built-in widgets and dialogs that will boost your productivity in developing database applications for KDE.

Read more about KDB here. kamera

kamera is an IO slave and a KControl panel module which allows you to access folders and images within any digital camera supported by the upcoming gPhoto2 libraries.

Read more about kamera here. KDE Studio

KDE Studio is moving to become the premiere development environment for Linux. theKompany.com is wholeheartedly supporting the further development and supply of this development suite, which will provide wide-ranging standardized developer tools and will be a strong reference set for development on Linux overall. Like other projects we sponsor, we will host the CVS development tree as well as other information about the project as it develops.

Read more about KDE Studio here. Kivio

Kivio on the surface is your everyday flowcharting program. Underneath this skin, however, lies much more. Kivio will offer basic flowcharting abilities, but with a twist. Objects are scriptable through Python, and a backend plugin system will offer the ability to make objects do just about anything.

Read more about Kivio here. Korelib

Korelib is a cross-platform C++ library for developing plugin-based applications. It provides a uniform and consistent cross-platform API for developing modular applications.

Read more about Korelib here. Krayon

Krayon, formerly known as KImageShop, is a professional level bitmap image editor component of the KOffice project. Digital camera support is being added in cooperation with www.gphoto.org to provide a common API between GNOME and KDE for digital camera support.

Read more about Krayon here (KImageShop site) Kugar

theKompany.com is pleased to support the open source project Kugar which is an XML based report generation and viewer tool for KDE. Applications generate data in XML and specify a template (also in XML) to be used to format the data. The resulting report may be viewed on screen or printed. Templates may be specified as a URL allowing businesses to establish a centralised template repository. Kugar's implementation as a KPart means that the production of business quality reports can be easily added to any KDE application, and that reports can be viewed using KDE's Konqueror browser.

Read more about Kugar here. KWord

theKompany.com is pleased to support the open source project KWord, a powerful word processor for KDE and Linux and an important component of KOffice, a full-featured office package for Linux.

Read more about KWord here. PyQt/PyKDE

theKompany.com is pleased to support the open source project PyQt/PyKDE which is the standard set of Python bindings for Qt and KDE. PyQt and PyKDE can be used to develop large scale Qt and KDE applications, or can be used to develop rapid prototypes in Python that are converted to C++ at a later stage of development. PyQt includes support for Qt Designer so that the same GUI design can be used to generate either C++ or Python code.

Read more about PyQt/PyKDE here. VeePee

VeePee is a framework that makes it easy for KDE and GNOME application developers to embed the Python scripting language in their applications, and provides users with a powerful and consistent scripting environment. theKompany.com sponsors VeePee and hosts the CVS development tree

Read more about VeePee here.

Why don't you wake up and smell the coffee! Kugar, Kivio, KDE Studio, and others.

i'm up!

Kugar, Kivio, KDE Studio, and others

please read my previous posts.

maybe if thekompany created free software (gpl) like ximian and eazel, it would get slashdoted.

i don't think this kind of software should even be here...

when ibm donates something it gets posted in slashdot right? good guys those ibm folk.
well, theKompany has donated kivio, aethera and the gphoto plugin to konqueror that i know of.
why don't they get the same thanks then?
hell, if someone gave me apps like that for free, i would more than gladly give 'em $50 bucks. i gave at least that much to stallman when i bougth the 2 tomes of the emacs lisp guide. why is this different?
even if they hadn't donated anything i will still buy kapital.

please do a search on slashdot for theKompany; they did post messages about them.

i guess you would buy CDE too? or windows? and do you like netscape not being free?

commercial software sucks! kapital is not different than the other commercial alternatives only because it runs on linux and uses kdelibs.

one final question: would you run internet explorer on linux?

i guess people care at different levels about free software. i feel a little guilty about it, but i am thankful there are people like you. me, i'm weak. i'm getting kapital :)

Come on how old are you? When did microsoft contribute to linux? There is a huge difference. The more success that The Kompany has the more gpl the can release. With all that xiamian and Nautilus talk I'm starting to wonder why your here? Steer up so trouble huh? Talk a little crap huh? I know your game. I'm sure your typing from your gnome desk top right now. Here we love kde and we love The Kompany.

Craig

i like theKompany but i'm not so sure everyone's feels the same way. some people are really ticked off about the fact that non-free software is becoming important software in the kde desktop. i don't mind that much, but Evandro has a point. i don't think he's stirring up trouble. some people _do_ care about this issue a lot. i've always been a kde user because the Qt thing never bothered me much, but some of my friends switched to gnome becaue of it then switched back when Qt went gpl (yes, really). to each his own i say. good luck to free software, good luck to theKompnay.

Come on how old are you?

did i ask how old you are? get a life.

With all that xiamian and Nautilus talk I'm starting to wonder why your here?

no nautilus talk, i mentioned eazel and ximian. i never mentioned anything about gnome or gnome software.

Steer up so trouble huh? Talk a little crap huh? I know your game. I'm sure your typing from your gnome desk top right now.

i'm typing this from konqueror, as i just finished compiling kde 2.1-final. btw (not that is is any of your bussiness), i don't have gnome-libs installed.

Here we love kde and we love The Kompany.

define "we". i don't use ximian software and eazel software but i like these companies better because they make free software and they believe in free software.

http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1).
Access to the source code is a precondition for this. The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

Commercial software does NOT suck just becuase it's commercial.
Some of it does, some does not.
Same as open-source...grow up. Just wait till you are looking for a programming job and have bills to pay and no one wants to pay you a top-notch salary, 'cause all software has become a loss-leader...

many people make money writing free software. i won't go in to that, just go to www.gnu.org, www.redhat.com, www.slackware.com, www.kde.org, www.eazel.com, ...

Commercial software does NOT suck just becuase it's commercial.

i don't agree with you. if i can't view the code, how can i trust a software? if i can't trust it, it sucks (in my opinion).

btw, could you please show me some respect? i respect you for using commercial software so i hope to be respected the same way. people have called me a child here and told me to grow up; last time i heard this was when i was 10 (and from a 10-year-old).

I think its time to ignore this loser. If you don't appreciate all that The Kompany's done for kde thats fine just shut your suck. We're tired of reading what your little ungrateful punk ass has to say. When was ten a couple years ago? Go back to gnome punk.

Craig

If you don't appreciate all that The Kompany's done for kde

i appreciate kivio, aethera, support for kword and everything else theKompany.com lists in their "projects" page. however, i don't like commercial software so i'll keep my self away from their "products" page. i don't care what you do.

loser, shut your suck, punk ass

you think i'm 12? is this how you talk to kids? bah, i don't care about your words. i respect your view on how software should be distributed, i just don't agree with you. i guess you don't live in a democracy, do you?

Go back to gnome punk

go back to windows, lame.

Yeah, they make money writing free software because THEY GET GRANTS from universities. Last time I read RMS has $500,000 lifetime grant from MIT sitting in his bank account.
It's easy to say "everything must be free" when all your bills are paid.
Besides that, I'm sure he got nice stock options from many Linux companies.
Grants and handouts is not a viable long-term business model for a software industry, sorry.
Evandro, realize: not all commercial software is like Microsoft's. Not all of it is bloated, badly coded and full of insecurities.
If open-source can produce better apps, so be it, no problem. But we've been waiting for a package like Kapital from open-source circles and it hasn't come yet. theKompany sensed an opportunity and met the demand. It's called capitalism. It works way better than any other system, trust me (and I know, I lived in a communist country for over 20 years).

Hey, just went to www.kde.org. I can't find anything about these guys making any money. In fact, I looked hard and could not find a way to BUY something from them. They say I can GIVE them money, though.

You are a strange person.

what are you referring to?
if i may, what is the position of kde developers (at least those you know) regarding theKompany?

I am referring to this nonsense about www.kde.org being proof of people making money off free software.

I dare say that every big KDE developer would have made a heck of a lot more money if he had NOT been involved in KDE.

I know *I* would have made more money if I had just started taking fulltime commercial jobs instead of staying in education, and one of the reasons I did that was because I wanted free time to work on KDE :-)

dare i say then that you're one of the good guys. thanks for everything you guys have done. :)

btw, are people still working on krn?

I'm afraid I'm a former good guy these days :-P

Nobody is working on KRN currently. I'd dare say KRN is dead, and that effort should be spent on making KNode better instead.

The bad side of it is that coding in KNode would be extremely unpleasant for me (not because of anything bad in KNode, just because I feel so lame about letting KRN rot).

check the People page.

"we're all strange in a very strange way" (forgot who said that)

First of all: the "strange" stuff, I was just trying to be polite.

As for the "People" page, check the credits page, too. Now compare the sizes.

By chance, what web browser did you use before Konqi/Mozilla ? Do you use VMware? Do you play any Windows games (be it WINE'ed or native)? Better yet, do you play any console games?

There is nothing wrong with commercial software. In some cases that is the only form certain software exists in. Open Source software exists primarily because the author had "an itch to scratch". This generally doesn't include Reference software, Educational software, Commercial-quality games, or loads of special-case programs.

What do you do for the time being if there is no OSS program for the job? And please, although I am a programmer, most people are not, so the answer "make one yourself" doesn't fly. Instead, most people will just use what works.

Besides, what does it matter to you that there is a commercial financial program available for Linux now? It's not like you are forced to use it, or it's existence somehow taints all of us. We've had commercial software on Linux forever. You don't have to use it if you don't want to, so what's the big deal?

-Justin

By chance, what web browser did you use before Konqi/Mozilla ? Do you use VMware? Do you play any Windows games (be it WINE'ed or native)? Better yet, do you play any console games?

i used netscape navigator the same way i used dos/windows before GNU/Linux. i don't use vmware. i play games on playstation. i don't play console games, i play some games from kdegames and some other free games (KOF91, XLogical, Aleph One, XBlast, TuxRacer, 0verkill, GLTron, FlightGear, and others).

There is nothing wrong with commercial software. In some cases that is the only form certain software exists in. Open Source software exists primarily because the author had "an itch to scratch".

free software exists because people have fun making it! do you think "an itch to scratch" is enough motivation to make KDE? Linux? all of GNU software?

you find nothing wrong with commercial software, that's your opinion and i respect it. however, i find a few things wrong with commercial software:

- i can't trust it;
- i can't view it's code;
- some times i have to pay for it, and what if i don't have the money to? i use an older version? i should always be behind people that can afford to buy software?

What do you do for the time being if there is no OSS program for the job? And please, although I am a programmer, most people are not, so the answer "make one yourself" doesn't fly. Instead, most people will just use what works.

fortunetly, i don't need any anymore. and if i did, yes i would make it myself ;) (and i would have fun doing it)

Besides, what does it matter to you that there is a commercial financial program available for Linux now? It's not like you are forced to use it, or it's existence somehow taints all of us. We've had commercial software on Linux forever. You don't have to use it if you don't want to, so what's the big deal?

i didn't say "oh no! commercial software!". i just said i wouldn't use it, and like you said, there's nothing wrong with that.

with all the respect,

Evandro

So you'll use there stuff on the projects page but not on there products page. Well my still living with your parents house friend. Where the hell do you think the the money came from for the projects? Your what's known as a free loader. In the "real World" thats not an MTV show, people need money. If you just want to enjoy the fruits of someone else's money and work don't get on here blah blah blahing about your high brow ideology. There's no such thing as a free lunch in the real world.
I love gpl i use it when ever i get a chance. However I'm not a coder so I give back in other ways that I can. One being the purchase of products by good companies so there able to give back to the community. Four in particular.
The Kompany
Loki
IBM
Troll Tech
These four for profit companies have did wonderful things for open source. If they were not able to make a profit then they would not be able to give back gpl software. As for Xiamian and Eazel they'll be out of Business in 18 months. They've got a horrorable business model. If you could think of a way for someone to make money using the gpl for a finacial app like Kapital please share. Don't bother with any head in the clouds BS either.

Craig

when the Kompany licensed their software under the GPL license, they agreed with:

``Free software'' is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of ``free speech'', not ``free beer.''

``Free software'' refers to the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software:

The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0). The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this. The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2). The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

i believe in free software; i chose to support people that make free software. honestly, i don't think any of the companies you mentioned would make a difference in the success of KDE, GNU and free software in general. (but they help making linux more popular).

to finish, i would like to say that you have every right to like commercial software and to use it. i can't argue with that.

what i've been trying to do here is to show people how important being free is to a software. if you can't get my point, i'm sorry. maybe www.gnu.org can explain it better? or www.debian.org? anyway.

it's been fun discussing this with you. may the source be with you all.

cheers,
Evandro.

Dude we all know this. How do you make money on a product like Kapital while using the gpl? If you have ideas share them, if not don't criticize it. Kapital is different that those Gnome apps you mentioned. I can't think of anyway that it could be licensed and still make money. If you can say so. We all know what "free" means it not the point. We're not talking ideology, we're talking real life. If there was a way to produce all gpl software and make good desktop apps while keeping a business alive, the Kompany would do it. The fact is there's not. We need company's like The Kompany doing what there doing. A mix of proprietary software with gpl is a good business model. It allows the Kompany to give us cool apps we need while reinvesting some of there money back into kde. That way theres not a power struggle of who owns the desktop like there is in the gnome situation. If you use the Kompanies gpl contributions don't knock them for for there proprietary solutions. It's what keeps them alive and gives us cool software. If you don't like it don't buy it. Just don't preach about a utopian world where you can employee as many people as you want to produce software with out any consideration if you'll make any money off it. I know when your young ideology like Stallmens can make you dreamy eyed. Lets get our feet back on the ground and save it for your high school report.
Craig

i know a lot of companies that make money and they make free software only. it's not up to me to figure out a way of doing so with kapital. if the Kompany really wants to do that, they figure that out (the same way other companies did).

"Lets get our feet back on the ground and save it for your high school report."

you're a fun person.

what about a service based model. say, a tax service, financial advise, data storage, an online trading connection, strong integration with banks and other financial institutions, forecasting (retirement and such) all from the convinience of Kapital.

That would take allot more resources and infascructure than the kompany has available. I don't think you realize how small the Kompany is.

Craig

(honestly, i don't think any of the companies you mentioned would make a difference in the success of KDE, GNU and free software in general. (but they help making linux more popular).

Troll Tech makes Qt the very liberties kde is build on.
The Kompany produces quality desktop apps that will go head to head with Microsoft. ( There totally lacking in Gnome)

IBM gives us creditability advertising and publicity.

They all make a traminduce difference.

"They all make a traminduce difference"

they're not essential.

Not essential? KDE wouldn't even exist without qt.
Sounds like your just being anti business.

Craig

and do you like netscape not being free?

But Netscape is free! It is free in both the free beer sense and the free speech sense. The developers at Netscape have the freedom of speech, which is guaranteed to them under the US Constitution for those of them residing in the US. And that freedom of speech says that they do not have to use an RMS or OSI approved license.

If you don't like closed source software, you have the freedom not to use any. But the rest of use do have the freedom to use it if we so wish. And apparently there are many of us that intend to use Kapital. So get used to it.

you mixed it all up! by "free software" i meant:

The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1).
Access to the source code is a precondition for this. The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits. (freedom 3).
Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

"free speach" is used to explain it because the word "free" has two meanings in english (free willy x free beer).

And I meant freedom according to Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary. I don't care what Richard Stallman's definition of "free" is. He certainly has the right to invent and use his own language, but he does not have the right to compell me to use it.

Actually, "free" has seventeen definitions in Webster's, not just two. Consider "free speech", "free verse", "free electron", "free agent", etc.

i can imagine then that it is probably impossible to talk to you. are you one of these people who requiere a context explanation before you begin a conversation.

hey it rhymes :)

Actually, in my rather limited experience, talking (not literally) to David is simple. Talking (literally and electronically) with RMS is almost impossible.

The only remaining modes in RMS's discourse are sermon, public speech, pep talk, harangue and pontification.

How long do I have to order Kapital at the lower price?

Until september?

Or until the end of february?

The webpage mentions the initial release as this month, September as the date for the last free upgrade if you order now, and memtions the price is good until the Final Release Date.

But doesn't explicitly say what the final release date is.

I just want to know if I have to hurry to buy this thing. :)

--john

by Shawn Gordon (not verified)

The first beta release of Kapital is the first of March. The final release is dependant on the number of requests we get for features. The September 1 date is arbitrary and is how long you will be able to get free updates.

The lower price will stop when the final product is ready, and again, that depends on the requests. I imagine that will be in April on a guess.

shawn

cool.
so i have some time then. :)

thanks for the response.

--john

Here's a cool idea -- what if you already have the "versacheck" paper and a laser printer? Why wouldn't you be able to print your own checks? essentially, it's just a sheet of paper divided into three parts. Quicken does this and I think it's definitely a great feature.

I'd also like to see more Quickbooks-like capabilities. That said, nice work and I think I'll be picking up a copy when it gets a little more complete!! I especially love the Bill-minder feature like quicken!!

by Jorge Costa (not verified)

Anyone who thinks that kde can live forever without having people making money from are wrong.
Mandrake Suse etc they all make money with kde there is nothing wrong with as long they don´t own it.

We must think of kde as base desktop not all you migth need but basic thinks

Can you blame IBM for making money no you can't

We see the ethical side i don´t mind if Thekompany makes a lot of money Kde as long as they help building Kde basics

You guys have been doing a great jod an you should try to sell services likde ximian does
but for kde

Keep up the good and feed your own families

by WorLord (not verified)

>Mandrake Suse etc they all make money

**Disclaimer**

I am very dumb WRT how open source companies (like the ones mentioned above by you) make money, so I may be way off base in what I'm about to say here.

**End Disclaimer**

Having said that, I feel it should be noted that the companies you used as examples - and many others - also allow all of their products to be downloaded free of charge. And I think that this is where people's distaste for TheKompany's current tactic here springs from. (The one difference is that theKompany has taken a slightly different tack: some of their products are free, some aren't.)

I have yet to form an opinion on the matter, other then the idea that GNUCash works fine for me.

--WorLord

by Craig black (not verified)

What a wonderful idea we should expect ford a intel and the others do give there stuff away for free as well. This is going to be great. Just drive on over to the grocery store and everything will be free. Of course will all work for free as well. It will be a workers paradise we'll call it the dictatership of the prolitariate!! A workers paradise. I can't believe no one has thought of this before. Workers of the world rise up. We will demand everything to be free free free. Who cares if it cost them thousands of dollars to produce there products. Who dare they expect something in return for there work!! Damn them they should have to give them away!! Glory to the workers!!!

Craig

by Me (not verified)

Damn dude,
You really need to attend a basic course in English grammar and spelling. Although I'm surprised you know large words like prolitariate.