Please read the following thread. This is a recurring question on the mandriva forum....are we stupid or is kde really not that unituitive sometimes?
http://forum.mandriva.com/viewtopic.php ... highlight=

I would answer both yes and no. I think it's intuitive once you get used to it, but since it's a bit different than other environments (I'm thinking mostly of KDE3, Gnome, Windows, and MacOS here, and especially when it comes to the panel(s) and widgets) it can take a while to get used to.

And as far as that thread goes...I'm a bit torn when it comes to the unlocked/locked widgets. On one hand, if they're locked it prevents a new user to accidentally remove something they may not want to remove. On the other, it's a hassle to remember locking/unlocking all the time.

Maybe it's just me (and I love how plasma behaves generally), but I tend to keep plasma locked. Mostly because I find it annoying to: 1. Have the plasma-toolbox taking precious space in the panel(s), and 2. I find the "Expand the desktop-widgets as soon as the pointer hovers above them to show the configuration side-panel" equally annoying. The plasma-toobox on the desktop I have nothing against though. Then again, keeping plasma locked prevents me from just dragging an image to the desktop to make a wallpaper out of it or a text-file to make a note out of it. Not to mention that it's not immediately obvious why the "Plasma widgets" entry in the systray-settings are greyed out unless you know how plasma works (and remember that plasma is currently locked).

I don't know what a good solution would be though.

The solution actually is really easy. Do not show that plasma toolbox even when the panel is locked, only show those annoying popup boxes on right click instead of on hover, the ability to individually lock items (like in the gnome panel)

You know, one of the things that KDE has going for it is that EVERYTHING can be tweaked, changed, or configured. I consider it a blessing. However, some hate it. The options (at first) can be overwhelming, but as you find you way it becomes easier and easier. And once you get the hang of it, any user can configure the desktop exactly as they want it. The functionality is something that is simply unavailable in other desktop environments.

I also really like the (option) to unlock/lock plasma. It prevents accidental removal, moving, etc, and allows you to avoid watching the menu options pop up every time you hover over a particular plasmoid.

As I said if avoiding the annoying plasmoid menus is the reason for locking the desktop than a better solution must be found for switching of those annoying menus. Also why not the ability to lock per item (as is possible in gnome), seems much more useful than the locked or unlocked state

I can feel same way. The current locking mechanism is useless or on the way.

The locking works as long you have widgets what you do not need to interact more advanced way.

Like example the notes widget. You only can have one note on desktop/dashboard and if you have locked the plasma, you can not make a new one or move/resize the existing one. Even closing one is impossible with smart way.

Just now using the notes as example. What you do in realworld is that you write down the important thing to post-it and then you place it somewhere where it should be. When the note is done or it is not anymore needed, you just snap it away and throw to trash. But still at anytime, you can write new things to it or even move it to other place.

The same function should be in the note widget as well. I have a mockup from this what I need to send to brainstorm forum.

And same thing is with wallpaper, picture frame, webview and so on. They are totally useless unless you keep the plasma unlocked all the time so there is no idea at all to have plasma locked in first place.

The great functionality in KDE3 series was that you dropped image to desktop and you got asked it to be set as wallpaper or copied/moved/linked there.

Now with plasma, we have same possibilities, but you can not do anything with the desktop when you need to have it unlocked.

One of my favorite and most used functions has been to drag a website URL to desktop. I do not use browsers bookmarks other functions than just for bookmarks, but dropping the link to the desktop it comes like a post-it note. It is in your "TO-DO list". That is the great function in the folder views that you can just drag'n'drop the folder to panel/desktop and get a important files to be seen from boxes. Same way user should have a change to drop notes, images, links and other stuff to desktop with their own function widgets. Just like when you now paste text to desktop, you get asked do you want to make a note from it. But only when you have plasma unlocked.

And what I really miss, is to have different plasma panels in every virtual desktop. I dont care so much about activities because the virtual desktops could be my activities where I could do same job, manage same files but with different applications and different ways. Then I have need to have the activities what are presented (since KDE SC 4.5 the new activity manager) but in very rare cases.

The plasma locking mechanism is currently something what does not work at all. If we would hide the toolboxes and control-boxes when you hover the widgets or what appears to the panels, the plasma would start work more wise manner.

To me, it looks like the idea of dumping the desktop as dumping ground went too deep so it slows down the evolvement. I do not like the idea of original desktop. I love the folder views and other widgets. But all the great functions are almost totally useless. It is very sad