How is KDE4 supposed to be used ?

[Craig White]

On Sat, 2008-10-04 at 16:38 -0400, Linuxguy123 wrote:

> I don't "get" KDE4.  The big thing I missed from KDE3 was a desktop with
> real folders on it that I could drag and drop to my heart's content.
> KDE has "folder view" that one can use to display a folder and one can
> put the icon for a folder on the desktop, but I don't see how that is
> better than what we had with KDE3.
> 
> All I see so far is that KDE4 is different.  I don't get how it is
> better.
> 
> The management and control of the desktop area is what I don't
> understand.  Its like we added a layer of complexity (ie using folder
> view and having to use an icon on the desktop to represent the folder)
> and I am not following why its better.  I don't see anything we couldn't
> have done in KDE3 if we would have added widgets to it. 
> 
> Why did they not allow the user to have a traditional desktop that
> displayed the entire contents of the Desktop folder ?
----
I will do my best to explain but in doing so, I recognize your
expectations and know that I have a network of users with similar usage
patterns and expectations similar to yours.

The earliest versions of GUI interfaces whether Macintosh, Windows or
X-Windows all allowed interaction with files on the desktop. But the
desktop itself became a confusing metaphor because the mess of files
interferes with most other options.

Most operating systems and applications are now designating where things
go...documents get saved in a Documents folder, music files saved in
Music folder, movies saved in a Movies folder, pictures, downloads, etc.

Mini-applications that were formally known as desk accessories like
calculators and stuff were relegated to applications and thus required
more effort to launch.

KDE and it's plasmoids are returning these 'widgets' to a functional
space on the desktop and interfere and clutter the desktop workspace.
Their thinking is that the desktop workspace be spared of file clutter
in favor of space for useful widgets, launchers and of course,
application windows.

In reality, there's no reason why you can't use the normal file manager
application (i.e. Dolphin or Konqueror) to move files around (even
to/from the desktop itself) and in the case of Dolphin with its split
views, there actually is a lot more utility using a file manager than a
file manager window and accessing files directly on the desktop.

I personally feel that the 'folder view' widget is a waste of energy and
of no real value and just resort to using Dolphin and in fact, moved all
of the files and folders off my desktop and just keep a couple of
'launchers' there. It is a prettier desktop and once I adjusted my
expectations, there actually is little difference.

Craig