[vox] Amarok 2.x - should I upgrade?

[Bill Kendrick]

On Mon, Feb 02, 2009 at 03:05:59PM -0800, Bob Scofield wrote:
> To me, KDE 4.x values eye candy over functionality.

There certainly is a lot of eyecandy to go around, but

<snip>
> And while we're on my favorite topic; KDE 4.x, I can't resist this.  Here's 
> another problem in 4.1.  Unlike Windows, Gnome, and KDE 3.5; in KDE 4.1 I 
> cannot bring up a web page in Firefox, click on File->Save Page As->Desktop, 
> and have an icon on the desktop that will bring up that particular web page.

In KDE 4.1 you're stuck with a 'folder view' widget _on_ the desktop.
It seemed quite unnatural.  (Add Widget -> Folder View)


With KDE 4.2, you can make your desktop _be_ a folder view (like the
good old days of KDE, Windows, Mac OS all the way back to 1984, etc.)
In other words, the icons live on the desktop itself, rather than within
a scalable/positionable widget.  (Looks like you can still have
folder view widgets in KDE 4.2, meaning you can easily view multiple
folders at a time.)

Honestly, though, I use Konsole and "ls", "mv", "cp" the most often.
Then Gwenview (for organizing photos).  Then Dolphin. :)


Anyway, if for those who have KDE 4.2, you do this by clicking the Plasma
button (the 'cashew') at the top right of the desktop and selecting
"Appearance Settings".  Under the "Desktop Activity" heading there's a
"Type" pulldown.  You change it from "Desktop" to "Folder View".

What's interesting with KDE 4.2 is that each desktop can be a different
activity or theme.  So imagine a nice crisply-themed work desktop with
your work folder displayed as the files on your desktop.  Then when you
go home to watch a movie, you slide over to the dark and baren desktop.

So really, I feel the core tech under the hood improving quite a bit.
And as with KDE of the past, I'm seeing that they're opening up the
options so one can make their desktop do things (and look) exactly the
way they want.

But I do agree... KDE 4 had a bumpy start. :(  I'm liking 4.2 a lot, though.

-- 
-bill!
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