On Sat December 6 2008 10:14:32 am Larry Stotler wrote:
On Sat, Dec 6, 2008 at 4:57 AM, Basil Chupin
wrote: I can tell you what you can do for ALL users - current AND prospective, but especially prospective - is to put KDE3 as the default desktop installation in 11.1 and put the usability challenged KDE4 into the OTHER category.
Come on Basil, that kind of about face just isn't going to happen. I would just prefer to see KDE3 moved back to the main options, but that isn't going to happen either. There are some who do think KDE4 will work for them. I would prefer choice at the least.
Agreed Larry, KDE4 is significantly improved since the fiasco of 11.0GM, but it still isn't ready for PRIME TIME IMO because of the developers admitted shortcomings that they are working on to implement. What bothers me is the previous announcement by openSuSE that 11.1 is the LAST version to even offer 3.5.x of KDE and I severely feel the likelyhood that if it is dropped, even under the moniker of 'Other' as in 11.1. Until 4.x of KDE IS (by Will Stephenson's own admisson) brought up to parity with 3.5.x with or without the 'bling', I feel that openSuSE should continue offering 3.5.x as it is now being done in 11.1 and NOT REMOVE it from the distro. They can conduct a poll of distro users and simply ask: Is 4.x now functional enough to free up the space in the distro by not having to offer 3.5.x also?.... If not, what features do you consider 'show stoppers' that remain? If this is not done, I truly feel that a huge number of people that are not technically literate with Linux or openSuSE will be unable to install 3.5.x of KDE not because it is unavailable anywhere, but because it is unavailable in a way not requiring a PhD to install, eg, using Yast and even if Yast can somehow install it, the underlying KDE4 apps will get in the way, be nearly impossible to remove, or otherwise prevent it from being used effectively. We see this right now with many KDE apps forcing loading of GNOME libraries and I expect vise-versa, and when I try to use KDE3.5.10 appletts for which there do exist v4.x versions (because I like the 3.5.x version better), it is sometimes dammed near impossible to get the earlier version installed. Semi or Illiterate users (probably the majority of Windoze imports) will simply not be able to do this and will assume this is how Linux does it and it's in the 'too hard pile' because they can't just download a 'install.exe' onto their desktop (after paying 49.95 or so for it) and clicking it). The concept of adding some special repository for 'Historical archivial copies of outdated KDE versions) to get a desktop that 'just works', then becoming an 'administrator' (root), launching Yast, figuring out what version of the ancient KDE software is the one that makes their machine work without all the 'bling' and 'just works' like their old fashioned 65 year old friends machines do, will simply elude them and they will get out their Windoze recovery disks and return to the world of paying for everything in mindless bliss. Richard -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org