Mac OS X

Why KDE on OS X and Windows is Good for the Open Source Community

By EAN ⋅ January 24, 2008 ⋅  Email this Post ⋅  Print this Post ⋅ Post a Comment

More choice is always a good thing–especially in the computing world. It’s really annoying to need a particular type of program but not like the one or two options currently on the market. I suppose that’s one of the most appealing aspects of the F/OSS movement. Diversity in the marketplace. But diversity also has a downside. A pie sliced too thinly can create numerous problems for users and developers alike.

All in all, KDE application support for OS X and Windows is a great thing. New software to tinker with on platforms that most people are more accustomed to is absolutely fantastic. We’ve had cross-platform support for GIMP via GTK+, so it’s about time that we’re given access to apps like Amarok and Konqueror via Qt/Mac and Qt/Windows.

But here’s the problem with KDE on OS X. I can’t see replacing any programs I currently use on my Mac with their KDE equivalents. For one, the download for “everything” is currently 2.45GB. That’s a pretty massive download just to run a couple of small programs. Secondly, there is not a single KDE app that is better or more useful than native Mac apps. KMail is not going to replace Mail.app any time soon. KOffice, while a good substitute for NeoOffice and a no brainer for people using OpenOffice, is not a replacement for those of us who own iWork. Amarok is great for those who don’t own an iPod–but it won’t replace iTunes for the vast majority of users. Also, the KDE apps lack the integration with each other that many native Mac apps have. It’s so handy to load photos into iPhoto and use them later in Mail, Pages, or dozens of other programs.

On the flip side of the coin, KDE for Windows is where the action’s going to be. Amarok is a great option for those looking to escape from Windows Media Player while KOffice is certainly a fantastic option for those who don’t want to load up the bloated software that is OpenOffice. Kate instead of Notepad++ is wholly a personal decision, as is Dolphin instead of Explorer. As for Konqueror–everyone should stick with Firefox instead. Yes, as long as the developers can get the bugs out, there are plenty of good reasons to use KDE apps on Windows.

One interesting question is whether or not KDE support for Mac and Windows will detract people from switching to Linux. I think the opposite will be true. Just like how Firefox opened many people’s eyes to the power and possibilities that are inherent to open source software, KDE on OS X and Windows will open their eyes to just far open source software has come. With that knowledge, they may find they want to see what a fully open source operating system is like, first by dual booting Linux and then switching entirely. No, KDE on operating systems people already know and love is definitely a good thing for the open source community as a whole.

I’m looking forward to see how far this broad support for KDE goes by the time KDE 4.1 is released. There have been some excellent steps made in the right direction, and I can assume that the project will only get bigger, better, and more polished as time goes on.