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Nine Rules for Designing a Linux Desktop By Bruce Byfield | Article Published February 07, 2012 The Linux user revolts of recent times could be avoided by following these guidelines. Tags: Linux, KDE, Gnome, open source tools Is Linux Spark Tablet An iPad Killer? By Matt Hartley | Article Published February 06, 2012 Powered by Linux, the Spark tablet might prove to be little more than a toy. Yet it has greater potential. Tags: tablet, iPad, KDE, Linux The Dilemma of the Linux Desktop By Bruce Byfield | Article Published January 31, 2012 Between Ubuntu's Unity and Linux Mint's Cinnamon, we have a snapshot of the Linux desktop in crisis. Tags: Gnome, KDE, Shuttleworth, Linux KDE vs. Windows 7 By Bruce Byfield | Article Published January 23, 2012 Can a free Linux desktop actually rival Windows 7? Tags: Linux, KDE, Windows 7 The Fragmentation of the Linux Desktop By Bruce Byfield | Article Published January 17, 2012 Dissatisfaction with Unity and GNOME, among other factors, is wreaking havoc on the Linux desktop. Tags: KDE, Unity, Linux desktop, Gnome The Mystery of KDE Activities By Bruce Byfield | Article Published January 11, 2012 Activities are one of KDE's best features. So why do so many users know nothing about them? Tags: KDE, Linux 2011: The Year of Linux Disappointments By Bruce Byfield | Article Published December 13, 2011 As years go, 2011 was a kidney stone of a year for free and open source software. Tags: FOSS, Gnome, Linux, KDE KDE Widgets: Why They Matter By Bruce Byfield | Article Published December 06, 2011 KDE offers a broad array of widgets to make your daily work easier and faster. Tags: Linux, widgets, KDE, Gnome, Unity KDE vs. Trinity: Is One Really Better? By Bruce Byfield | Article Published November 15, 2011 How does KDE 4 compare with Trinity, the fork based on KDE 3? The advantages are not as one-side as you might think. Tags: open source, KDE, Linux GNOME vs. KDE vs. Unity: Performing Seven Basic Tasks By Bruce Byfield | Article Published November 08, 2011 How do the top Linux desktops compare when you're doing basic tasks? The answers may surprise you. Tags: KDE, Unity, Linux, Gnome Is the Linux Desktop Dead? By Bruce Byfield | Article Published November 01, 2011 The increased importance of mobile computing raises questions about the Linux desktop's future. Tags: KDE, Linux desktop, Gnome, Linux KDE's 'Plasma Active' Tops GNOME 3 and Unity By Bruce Byfield | Article Published October 11, 2011 Designed for touch screen tablets, KDE's Plasma Active is clearly superior to its rivals. Tags: KDE, open source apps, Linux desktop, Ubuntu, Gnome GNOME 3.2: Tactical Brilliance and Strategic Stubbornness By Bruce Byfield | Article Published October 05, 2011 It's unclear whether GNOME 3.2 will be enough to reconcile users alienated by GNOME 3.0. Tags: KDE, Linux, Gnome Building the Ultimate Modern Linux Desktop By Matt Hartley | Article Published September 20, 2011 A veteran Linux user lists his choices for a top-flight desktop. Tags: KDE, Linux desktop, Ubuntu, Gnome Windows 8, Metro, and the Linux Desktop By Bruce Byfield | Article Published September 20, 2011 Windows 8's Metro could indicate an unfortunate direction in the future of the Linux desktop. Tags: mobile, KDE, Linux desktop, Windows 8, Metro browser, Gnome Is Ubuntu Driving Users Away? By Matt Hartley | Article Published September 12, 2011 A Linux pundit realizes his resentments about the Ubuntu desktop are shared by a good number of Ubuntu users. Tags: Linux, KDE, Gnome, Ubuntu Eight Complaints About the Linux Desktop By Bruce Byfield | Article Published September 08, 2011 The Linux desktop is like a colony that has gained independence yet still thinks that everything is done better in the mother country. Tags: Linux, KDE, Gnome, Linux desktop What GNOME Can Learn from KDE's Recovery By Bruce Byfield | Article Published August 23, 2011 KDE made a course correction after a user revolt. Will GNOME show the same ability to learn from mistakes? Tags: Linux, KDE, Gnome The GNOME 3 Meltdown By Bruce Byfield | Article Published August 16, 2011 Is there hope for GNOME 3 in the face of a largely negative user response? Tags: Linux, Torvalds, KDE, Gnome Seven Concerns on the Linux Desktop By Bruce Byfield | Article Published August 09, 2011 After years of trying to match proprietary desktops, the Linux desktop has yet to find a new destination -- or even a compass point. Tags: Linux desktop, Unity, KDE, Gnome GNOME vs. KDE vs. Unity: Customization Tools and Ease of Use By Bruce Byfield | Article Published July 26, 2011 Which of the three major Linux desktops offers the most customization tools, and which tools are easiest to use? Tags: Linux, Unity, KDE, Gnome KDE 4.7: Long-Term Vision, Ongoing Myopia By Bruce Byfield | Article Published July 19, 2011 The problems in the 4.7 release reveal that KDE is making little movement toward solutions. Tags: KDE, Linux, Gnome Choosing the Best Linux Desktop: KDE, Unity, GNOME By Bruce Byfield | Article Published July 13, 2011 Pros and cons of the KDE, Unity, GNOME 2, and GNOME 3 Linux desktops. Tags: KDE, Linux, Ubuntu, Unity, Gnome 20 Linux Alternatives for Common Windows Applications By Matt Hartley | Article Published July 05, 2011 A Linux pundit spotlights his favorite Linux alternatives to popular Windows software. Tags: KDE, LibreOffice, Linux, Gnome GNOME vs. KDE Apps: Which Are Best For You? By Bruce Byfield | Article Published June 21, 2011 A comparison between KDE and GNOME apps for IM, document handling, email clients and more. Tags: KDE, Linux downloads, Gnome, Linux Are Usability Studies Hurting the Free Desktop? By Bruce Byfield | Article Published May 10, 2011 Interface problems with KDE, GNOME and Ubuntu suggest that the Linux desktop may be headed in the wrong direction. Tags: KDE, Gnome, Linux desktop, Ubuntu, Linux downloads GNOME 3: Seven Pros and Cons By Bruce Byfield | Article Published April 26, 2011 The GNOME Linux desktop has major pluses and drawbacks, making the decision to adopt it a tough one. Tags: Linux, Gnome, open source, Linux downloads, KDE Best Browsers for Linux By Matt Hartley | Article Published April 11, 2011 A review of the leading open source browsers, with recommendations for various user groups. Tags: open source, Linux, Gnome, KDE, Mozilla Firefox GNOME vs. KDE: The Latest Round By Bruce Byfield | Article Published April 05, 2011 Both GNOME and KDE Linux desktops have versions that are radically different from those each had a few years ago. Tags: open source, Linux desktop, KDE, Gnome, Linux downloads Will GNOME 3.0 Repeat the User Revolt of KDE 4.0? By Bruce Byfield | Article Published March 22, 2011 GNOME 3.0 is a release that will please developers and frustrate many users. Tags: Gnome, open source software, Linux downloads, Linux desktop, KDE 15 Must-Have Linux Desktop Apps By Matt Hartley | Article Published March 07, 2011 Linux downloads for work and play, from document sharing to music-video to communications. Tags: KDE, Gnome, Linux desktop, Linux, audio Linux Leaders: Debian and Ubuntu Derivative Distros By Bruce Byfield | Article Published March 03, 2011 Ubuntu and Debian have enormous influence in the Linux world due to the many distributions based on them. Tags: Linux, Debian, KDE, Ubuntu, Linux downloads Jono Bacon Defends Ubuntu: An Insider's Perspective By Bruce Byfield | Article Published February 28, 2011 Ubuntu's community manager responds to a recent Datamation article that sparked widespread discussion. Tags: Unity, Ubuntu, KDE, Gnome, FOSS Nine Current Flame Wars in Open Source By Bruce Byfield | Article Published February 16, 2011 Want to pick an argument about Linux? You’ve got a lot of choices. Tags: Ubuntu, KDE, Linux desktop, open source, Linux downloads Forget GNOME and KDE, Xfce 4.8 Runs Simpler and Faster By Bruce Byfield | Article Published January 19, 2011 The latest version of Linux desktop Xfce 4.8 balances speed and convenience. Tags: open source, KDE, xfce, Gnome, Linux desktop Seven Improvements Needed in KDE By Bruce Byfield | Article Published November 29, 2010 The KDE desktop has come a long way in the last two years, yet still requires some fixes to be its best. Tags: Gnome, KDE, Linux downloads, Linux desktop, open source 20 Reasons Linux Will Boom in a Post-Recession World By Matt Hartley | Article Published October 04, 2010 Linux will benefit due to total cost of ownership, cross platform compatibility, security, and other issues. Tags: Gnome, operating systems, KDE, Linux, open source How will GNOME 3.0 be Received? By Bruce Byfield | Article Published September 28, 2010 Based on the preview of GNOME 3.0, the Linux desktop release may encounter some significant user resistance. Tags: Linux desktop, KDE, Gnome, open source, Linux downloads 20 Linux Apps That Make the Desktop Easier By Matt Hartley | Article Published September 22, 2010 Focusing on both KDE and GNOME, Linux desktop apps that make daily use faster and more efficient. Tags: open source, Linux downloads, KDE, Gnome, Linux desktop KDE and the Expansion of the Desktop By Bruce Byfield | Article Published September 09, 2010 New KDE features are designed to make desktop icons more efficient and reduce the clutter when using multiple windows. Tags: Linux desktop, open source, Linux, KDE, KDE 4 7 Things You Can Do in KDE, But Not in Windows By Bruce Byfield | Article Published September 02, 2010 Some of these features are not unique to the KDE Linux desktop. Tags: Linux desktop, Linux downloads, Linux, open source, KDE KDE 4.5 Trades Revolution for Evolution By Bruce Byfield | Article Published August 18, 2010 The KDE 4 series could still use some polish, yet KDE 4.5 represents a milestone in a multi-year development process. Tags: open source, Linux desktop, KDE 4, KDE, Linux downloads 50 Open Source Replacements for Really Expensive Software By Cynthia Harvey | Article Published August 17, 2010 Open source downloads that compare in quality and feature-set to high end proprietary applications. Tags: Linux, KDE, open source tools, downloads, open source software Linux Music Players: Amarok vs. Clementine By Bruce Byfield | Article Published July 28, 2010 The two Linux music players display different assumptions about what users want. Which do you prefer? Tags: open source tools, Linux, open source, music, KDE Forking KDE 3: Trinity KDE's Timothy Pearson By Bruce Byfield | Article Published July 26, 2010 KDE 3 lives on, still used enthusiastically by plenty of KDE aficionados. Tags: Linux desktop, KDE, Linux, KDE 4, Gnome Linux Desktop: Command Line vs. User Interface By Bruce Byfield | Article Published July 21, 2010 In many instances, the Linux desktop’s command line is preferable to its graphical user interface. Tags: KDE, Gnome, Linux, command line, Linux desktop KDE 4.5 2nd Beta: The End of an Era By Bruce Byfield | Article Published June 21, 2010 The KDE Linux desktop’s rapid pace of innovation seems to have slowed. Tags: Linux desktop, Linux, KDE, Linux downloads, open source tools Eight Ways GNOME Could be Improved By Matt Hartley | Article Published June 07, 2010 A longtime GNOME user suggests a number of improvements to the Linux desktop, some simple, some major. Tags: Linux, open source tools, Linux desktop, Gnome, KDE Is GNOME or KDE Better for New Users? By Matt Hartley | Article Published May 17, 2010 The generally accepted myth that migrating Windows or OS X users should choose KDE over GNOME doesn’t make much sense. Tags: KDE, Linux desktop, Linux, Gnome, open source tools KDE vs. GNOME: DVD Tools and Desktop Design By Bruce Byfield | Article Published May 04, 2010 Users must choose between GNOME simplicity and KDE completeness, and neither choice is completely satisfying. Tags: Linux, Linux desktop, DVD, Gnome, KDE GNOME 2.30: Waiting for the Big Release By Bruce Byfield | Article Published April 06, 2010 GNOME 2.30’s improvements in speed, inter-connectivity, and usability make the release worth having, even if it will become obsolete when the next release arrives in six months. Tags: Linux, open source, Linux desktop, Gnome, KDE GNOME and KDE: Seven Attractions in Each By Bruce Byfield | Article Published March 09, 2010 Both GNOME and KDE have caught up in features and narrowed the gap in usability with proprietary desktops. Tags: open source tools, Gnome, Linux desktop, open source tool, KDE KDE and GNOME: Seven Irritations in Each By Bruce Byfield | Article Published March 02, 2010 While the KDE and GNOME desktops have come a long way, each could still use some tweaking. Plus: suggest changes to KDE and GNOME. Tags: Gnome, Linux desktop, KDE, Linux downloads, KDE 4 LXDE: Smaller, Faster than KDE or GNOME By Bruce Byfield | Article Published February 23, 2010 The Simplest Linux Netbook Interface (LXDE) offers a smaller, faster alternative to leading desktops like GNOME or KDE –- especially for netbooks. Tags: Linux downloads, Gnome, Linux desktop, LXDE, KDE KDE Review: KDE 4.4 Comes in from the Cold By Bruce Byfield | Article Published February 15, 2010 KDE 4 got off to a difficult start, yet the Linux desktop interface has improved steadily, and its recent release finally reaches maturity. Tags: Linux downloads, KDE 4, KDE, Linux desktop The Advantage of the Xfce Linux Desktop By Juliet Kemp | Article Published February 12, 2010 As an alternative to KDE or GNOME, Xfce is a lightweight and fully-functional interface, providing a full Linux desktop environment. Tags: KDE, Linux desktop, xfce, Gnome, Linux KDE 4.4 Moves Linux Desktop Forward By Sean Michael Kerner | Article Published February 10, 2010 The release of KDE 4.4 Software Compilation (SC) advances the Linux desktop with a vast array of new features and thousands of bugs fixed. Tags: KDE, Linux desktop, Linux KDE vs. GNOME: Email Readers By Bruce Byfield | Article Published January 19, 2010 A feature-by-feature comparison between the KDE and GNOME email readers, concluding with an opinion about which is best. Tags: email, kmail, evolution, KDE, Gnome KDE vs. GNOME: Photo and Music Management By Bruce Byfield | Article Published January 12, 2010 The differences between KDE and GNOME in photo and music apps reveals key trends in Linux desktop development. Tags: open source, KDE, Linux desktop, Gnome KDE 4.4 Beta: Incremental Doesn't Mean Directionless By Bruce Byfield | Article Published December 10, 2009 KDE’s releases are more interesting right now than just about any other open source software project. Tags: open source, Linux desktop, desktops, KDE 4, KDE KDE Plasma Netbook GUI: Admitting Limitations By Bruce Byfield | Article Published November 03, 2009 KDE's Plasma Netbook interface reflects its developers' struggles, but the main KDE desktop could learn from it. Tags: widgets, search, desktop, Linux desktop, KDE Who Needs Windows 7 When You've Got KDE? By Bruce Byfield | Article Published October 19, 2009 Yes, you can point to a genuine Windows advantage here and there. But you can also find examples where KDE had features first, or has superior ones. Tags: KDE, Windows, Windows 7, Internet Explorer, Firefox KDE Social Desktop Contest: Freeing the Web By Bruce Byfield | Article Published October 13, 2009 The winners of a recent contest point the way toward the future of the open source desktop. Tags: OS X, open source, Linux desktop, KDE How Will Users React to GNOME 3.0? By Bruce Byfield | Article Published September 29, 2009 With KDE for comparison, GNOME now faces a serious challenge. Tags: desktop, search, KDE, Gnome, Linux desktop GNOME and KDE: In Search of the Perfect Menu By Bruce Byfield | Article Published September 21, 2009 GNOME and KDE both offer beginners a classic menu, yet the two desktops take different paths from there. Tags: Gnome, open source, Linux desktop, KDE KDE's Expanded Desktop vs. Online Apps By Bruce Byfield | Article Published August 25, 2009 Online applications are nothing more than the latest incarnation of proprietary software. Tags: KDE 4, Facebook, privacy, Google, KDE Will Geolocation Find a Home on Linux Desktops? By Bruce Byfield | Article Published August 04, 2009 The capability to detect and record your location is already starting to arrive in GNOME and KDE. But these early implementations are just a hint of what geolocation will soon provide. Tags: Google, KDE, Gnome, geolocation, GNU/Linux desktop GNOME, KDE, and Xfce: Which Desktop is Right for You? By Bruce Byfield | Article Published July 28, 2009 Regardless of which of the most popular Linux desktops you settle on -- GNOME, KDE, and Xfce -- the choice is too personal to trust to endorsements. Tags: Linux, Linux desktop, KDE, Gnome, xfce Richard Stallman, Leadership, and Sexism By Bruce Byfield | Article Published July 20, 2009 What happened at a recent desktop conference points out unresolved issues in the free software community about leadership and sexism -- issues that many prefer to remain silent about rather than confront. Tags: software, Stallman, KDE, Gnome, FOSS Google Chrome OS and the Open Source Desktop By Bruce Byfield | Article Published July 13, 2009 Given the sharing between the major free desktops like KDE and GNOME, any promising ideas in Chrome OS will also be borrowed by the major desktops. Tags: Gnome, Google, Linux, KDE, Microsoft Does the Linux Desktop Innovate Too Much? By Bruce Byfield | Article Published June 21, 2009 With KDE and GNOME innovating furiously, the open source desktop is still driven by developers working on what interests them – to the confusion of many users. Tags: Gnome, Ubuntu, Linux desktop, social networking, KDE The KDE 4.3 beta: KDE Returns to Incremental Releases By Bruce Byfield | Article Published May 19, 2009 Offering less excitement than the past few releases, most of the KDE 4.3 beta's innovations are made to increase interface consistency, or to restore features from the old 3.x series. Tags: Linux, KDE KDE 4.3.0 Beta 1: Eye Candy and More By Sean Michael Kerner | Article Published May 15, 2009 While the recent KDE releases have been known for their eye candy, the newest release certainly goes a step further. Tags: developer, Linux, desktop, KDE Why I Switched from GNOME to KDE By Bruce Byfield | Article Published May 14, 2009 The two desktops are remarkably similar, but for now KDE is closer to where more of the action is. Tags: KDE, Gnome, desktop, Linux Aaron Seigo Talks About KDE's Past and Future By Bruce Byfield | Article Published April 21, 2009 Open source must be competitive with proprietary software, the KDE leader says, otherwise “in the long run, that will leave us with nothing to show except for a strange group of people that work on something irrelevant.” Tags: Linux, software, desktop, developer, KDE |
