The Great KDE vs. GNOME thread.

Gossamer

First of all, I'm a Gnome person. I like KDE, I really do; but for some reason I just... can't get comfortable with it.

I don't know, I'm not even Mac-ish in nature. I don't like two-taskbars and such and for some reason I still like Gnome and xcfe4.

What is the mass' opinions?

atreyu

Gossamer wrote:

First of all, I'm a Gnome person. I like KDE, I really do; but for some reason I just... can't get comfortable with it.

I don't know, I'm not even Mac-ish in nature. I don't like two-taskbars and such and for some reason I still like Gnome and xcfe4.


What is the mass' opinions?

Between the two, I'll take Gnome. There are things I don't like about it, but for a comprehensive, integrated desktop, I'll take it. If I'm low on computing power or network throughput, Fluxbox is my choice. When I tried XFCE, it seemed to me to be slightly more capable than fluxbox/blackbox, and much less capable than Gnome/KDE, so I've never really used it again. Although I do love the Terminal that comes with XFCE.

YoyoKirby

I don't know if it's just me, but GNOME just works more efficiently (out of the box, at least). But I do like the aesthetics of KDE slightly more than GNOME. If only there was a way to mash them together...

Rovanion

I'm definitely a GNOME person.
Gnome seems to be much more simple and straight forward. And Gnome-Do is the best thing that ever happend to computing! not really but..

Gnome + Linux Mint. There is my flavour of Linux.

Set_Killer

LOL, this thread should be called Qt vs. Gtk.

however, i prefer gnome for quite good computers and Xfce (Fluxbox / Lxde) for oldiest ones.

i should try Kde 4 one day.

shiki

Easy. I use Openbox as window manager. And lxpanel as panel. So yeah the panel is from a DE already.

Then.. I use K3b for CD burning, Konqueror as a light browser, Dolphin as file manager, Ktorrent as torrent client, Ark as archiver, Gwenview as picture viewer, Kwrite as text editor. Thats for KDE (4.2.4).

Then I use pidgin for messaging (that can be gnome,xfce,whatever, gtk), claws-mail for email (gtk), monodevelop as IDE (gnome), Gedit sometimes for text editing (Gnome), Xchat (gtk), Gimp (GTK)..

You know.. I don't really care about such stuff. I always try to use KDE as base , and some GTK stuff as support apps, and if I REALLY need..then I install a gnome app with a hell of dependencies (yeah I hate gnome, so i cant really help it.. I struggled with it for months when KDE 4.0.0 came out).

So what I want to say? Even with this much "cross-app", I only get ~200mb or ~300/400mb memory usage. What is... OK I think. Even if I got 2 "workspace" full...

ScHmItCh

Not a big fan of KDE. I think it is all personal preference. I have a few KDE(QT) apps but can't help bu feel like I'm playing with a child's toy computer when I'm in KDE. Everything seems a little bit to cutesy.

I'm not sure that one is better than the other.

Goineasy9

When I was at LT in Berlin last June, I passed by the Gnome booth, and they had a whiteboard out front. The headline, split down the middle was something like "Love Gnome | Hate Gnome", and there were signatures under each. I didn't stop to add my own, even though I was a KDE fan-boy at that time. I thought that the Gnome folks had a good sense of humor placing that in front of their booth. I also felt a bit embarrassed that they had to have a sense of humor about it, especially in an Open Source environment. I suppose, at that time, with Ubuntu being the 800 pound Linux distro in the room, and having Gnome as their default desktop, the Gnome folks had not only their own detractors to deal with, but, they had the Ubuntu detractors to deal with also.
What a difference a year makes. While I didn't get to LT this year, I did, out of necessity, have to try Gnome. It seems that the people who produced my favorite desktop decided to release an unfinished (but pretty) product, and many distros felt the need to include it in their releases, leaving me with many unstable workstations. Debian sid and testing, my favorite choices for desktop are up to version 4.2.4, but still this version is not stable enough for what I use a computer for.
So, I looked around for a Gnome based distro, and found Fedora 11, which contained the newest 2.26 release of Gnome. Much to my surprise and delight, I once again had a useful and stable desktop. All those years of disliking a window manager that I never really used suddenly didn't make sense. (It shouldn't have made sense to begin with.)
I guess my point to all this is, it really depends on your own needs as to how good or bad you think a window manager performs. Both KDE and Gnome have performed well for me in different incantations. I know Linux minimalists who have Flux or ICEWM as their favorites. Others don't like the bloat of KDE and Gnome and choose Xfce or LXDE.
The spirit of "Freedom of Choice" is what brought me to Linux, and it's also why I've decided to stop telling users that one app is better than another in Open Source. Don't get me wrong, if you want to know what I think of certain features, or if an app is to buggy to be useful, I'll gladly give an opinion. But, if you want a fan-boy debate, I don't think it's useful, you'll have to try each one for yourself and make up your own mind.
(And I'm not saying anyone here is guilty of fan-boyisms, just adding my story).

sfnightfire

I like KDE, it is a GREAT Desktop... But for some reason I always choose GNOME... I think it is because it doesnt remind me of Windoze as much as KDE does..

STiAT

KDE wasn't unfinished in the sense for what it was released. It was a platform release, not a user release. The distributions in this case made the mistake ;-).

Anyway, a thread like this should not exist. There is no "Gnome" vs "KDE", there is only the user, with the freedom to choose. Both projects inspire each other with features and new approaches. KDE and Gnome are both valid choices, depending on the users needs.

shelner

I started with GNOME. I tryed KDE and I was satisfied but GNOME I think is better.

jayvo86

I think KDE looks similar to Vista. I much prefer Gnome. I can get around very easy on it and it looks (to me) a little more stripped down techy.

MikeEnIke

Friends don't let friends use gnome.

Goineasy9

I left KDE over a year ago, and have found Gnome to be a great DE. While helping someone with a sound problem on another forum recently, I've also realized that even when using KDE 4.4.3, Gnome was easier to configure. I'm hoping Gnome learned from the mistakes of KDE, and, when Gnome 3 is released, it's functionality doesn't degrade like when KDE4 was released, but only time will tell. Right now, I'm perfectly happy with Gnome.

mfillpot

Just wait for the new window manager additions in Gnome3, I can definitely see it becoming more user unfriendly than the first release of KDE4.

jabirali

I too am skeptical of many changes done in Gnome 3, but I think the transition will go more smooth than the transition from KDE 3 to KDE 4. Notable differences include that applications won't need any rewriting from Gnome 2 to Gnome 3, and the desktop components used in Gnome 2 will be available upstream for some time after Gnome 3 is released - so it seems like the Gnome camp is going for more of an evolutionary than revolutionary approach. See this page for more information:
http://live.gnome.org/GNOME3Myths

Goineasy9

I currently have Gnome Shell running on Fedora 13. Running may be the wrong word since at the moment it is incredibly unstable. But, at least one can see where they're going. I'm more interested in how configurable it will be, so, I'm going to keep my eye on it. I've been running Gnome for about a year now, and it's still is easier to work with than KDE 4.4. I was helping someone configure the sound in Skype the other day, and, I was amazed that there were so many tools still missing from KDE4. Hopefully the Gnome folks have learned from KDE's mistakes, and, from articles I've read, it seems they have. What Linux doesn't need, and, what I don't need, is another solid DE going unstable and less configurable. I don't need eye candy replacing practicality. Hopefully Gnome won't disappoint me the way KDE did, hopefully.

orcephrye

I only ever go KDE.

But Gnome is good too. It seams to use less recourses and its interface is more simple. Basically less options which helps the average user out.

When KDE 4.0 came out i almost stopped using it. But it has gotten a lot better.

When using VNC I will got xfce. Love that sucker. Debating using it for my workstation desktop because my computer is crappy at work and kinda what something faster. Then again i rarely use VNC. I mean ssh with X11Forwarding does the trick.

But in the end I always say "If it ain't broke dont fix it." KDE works for me and I will keep using it till it stops.

marc

Well, to me i'ts clear: KDE

And why so? If feels teamed up, polished, thought as a whole. Gnome feels (to me) like a bunch of apps put alltogheter with a nice look and feel.

The KIO slaves, the Kparts,the phonon system... everything *is part* of a whole desktop, not just an app the integrates well.

Not to mention that I usually change many of the default configs, which would be awful in Gnome(I know it is possible although painfully slow)

Don't get me wrong, Gnome is great I was using it for some time while the KDEPIM suit wasn't ported to KDE4 but... it just doesn't feel right for me

mfillpot

I agree with Marc. I am a primary KDE and xfce user. Those DEs feel very complete and are built to work without too many outside modifications.

Gnome too me also seems like it is a partial framework that requires mounds of third-party additions to make it function the way I like. Being a Slackware user that dislikes dependencies and extra package complexity it seems unnecessary.

So KDE for me, at least until Enlightenment 17 is stable and released

MikeEnIke

mfillpot wrote:

I agree with Marc. I am a primary KDE and xfce user. Those DEs feel very complete and are built to work without too many outside modifications.

Gnome too me also seems like it is a partial framework that requires mounds of third-party additions to make it function the way I like. Being a Slackware user that dislikes dependencies and extra package complexity it seems unnecessary.

So KDE for me, at least until Enlightenment 17 is stable and released

I too am still waiting on a decent Enlightenment release :P

marc

I too am still waiting on a decent Enlightenment release

Get in the line!

mfillpot

marc wrote:

I too am still waiting on a decent Enlightenment release

Get in the line!

The latest updates have been very promising, once they get better compatability with KDE and gtk based apps I will have more confidence in enlightenment, I think it will be the window manager of the future.

DrakeMagi

i prefer Gnome over Kde and xfce .
i never like the way kde flow. even thou it has some nice features .
just never care for xfce . it never felt light to me and it always made go back to gnome.

i do like fluxbox when i get it configure.

fvwm-crystal i do love but just to buggy.

cengizomersubasi

i use gnome -ubuntu 10.10-
i always feel like guest-user:) and something is missing on kde.
if i get a new laptop i try to use kde4 more.

MikeEnIke

I'm using Awesome primarily and also have gnome installed. I normally prefer KDE to GNOME but KDE has really made me angry lately with the fact that it installs so much bloat when you install. There used to be kdemod but I'm pretty sure that is no longer upkept. GNOME allows you to install the base and the extras separate, and I want that from KDE before I go back toi t.

mfillpot

Between KDE and Gnome, I prefer KDE for the clean interface and fast code base. In addition the KDE-QT Libraries are a pleasure to build program with, they greatly simplify many actions including translations.

Goineasy9

I've used KDE all the way back in my Mandrake 9.2 days, then, two years ago they started their experiement. Which made me have to switch to Gnome to be able to use my home/business network of computers for business. Stability and a lack of features were the main reasons for the switch, and Gnome worked well. Well enough, in fact, that I never really considered switching back to KDE.
I really wish developers would start thinking of the folks that use their software, because, here I am again, having to change DE's once again, just a couple of years later. KDE, by the way, has matured very nicely, and, it will once again take its place as the main WM on my systems. Why? Not because Gnome has turned into a bloated version of Android for desktops, although it has, but because I keep hearing how many new features will be available in Gnome 3.2. I thought the Gnome folks had learned the lessons that KDE suffered through, i.e., dont release unstable, feature lacking versions of new software. I guess they didn't. But I did.
From now on my business machines will be running Red Hat or Centos. I'll stay bleeding edge only on my personal box. I'm sorry to say that, as I get more experienced, stability isn't so bad for everyday tasks.

.....to be continued.