KDE devs have been under fire since the release of KDE 4.0 - it’s bad enough that they’ve worked with Groklaw to expose misconceptions. It has been years since I’ve used KDE and all the chatter prompted me to take another look… after five days I’m hooked.

A entirely revamped desktop demonstrates the creativity that an empty canvas encourages. The Desktop, Oxygen Icons, Plasmoids, and Panel combine to present a beautiful desktop that’s fun and functional. Favorites in the Kickoff Menu make navigating through menus largely unnecessary. Folder View and Plasma shift your desktop from a dumping place to a functional, always accessible, launchpad. With the 4.1 release on the horizon, the entire environment appears poised to leap ahead.

It’s exciting to see a Open Source project of KDE’s size risk significant changes. I only hope moral stays high. Keep up the great work… KDE 4 will Rock!