I just wanted to say this:

I have been using GNOME 3.4, and then 3.6 since last year. I noticed a lot of bugs and a lot of annoying ways to complete tasks. I just switched to KDE to try it out and wow...none of those bugs are here. EVERYTHING I hated about linux turns out to be because of GNOME, ugh!

I was thinking that linux programmers have gotten lazy or something, or the programming of these GPU accelerated window mangers is much harder. Friends of mine would use MAC OS, and I see how beautiful it is and how stable it is, and I have to say I envy them for using a unix-based OS with a beautiful window manager. Why couldn't linux have that? Well, it turns out it does have it in KDE...I was just using the wrong window manager

Keep up the good work!

KWin the window manager for KDE is quite nice with great effects, some that Compiz has but just so much better that it is intergated into the desktop and not like a 3rd class citizen. The developers and community for sure deserve a big thank you.

I just switched to KDE to try it out and wow...none of those bugs are here.

Made me laugh a bit for a while ^^
I guess that by now you have found that are some other bugs in KDE but well most likely you are back under gnome

I was thinking that linux programmers have gotten lazy or something

Linux developper are developping Linux
None of KDE/Gnome/Whatever developper are Linux developper , they are Desktop Environment developper
They surely not have gotten lazy. But what they did not get is that developping DE/software is not only about writing lines of codes... in fact writing lines of code is a very small amount of what design DE/software encompass

I have to say I envy them for using a unix-based OS with a beautiful window manager. Why couldn't linux have that? Well, it turns out it does have it in KDE..

Well if the graphics and the shiny would be the only problem of KDE we would be happy... right now. KDE user are much more annoyed by very very (very) basic usability and quality problem ... Appearance of the whole is becoming the smallest of our worry compared to what other concerns we have...

Please do not make generalisations - point out specific issues / workflows where "basic usability" is lacking, or where "quality" is problematic.
Broad generalisations are not helpful as they do not outline what the issue is - what you find problematic may not be an issue for another person.

The original author made a sentence :

I have been using GNOME 3.4, and then 3.6 since last year. I noticed a lot of bugs and a lot of annoying ways to complete tasks. I just switched to KDE to try it out and wow...none of those bugs are here

Which could give the general impression to the potential reader who would not know anything about linux, KDE and Gnome, that KDE is generally speaking better and very usable.

My point is that after 4 years using KDE, If I were asked the following questions:

Do you consider the usability of KDE as, generally speaking good and stable ?
Do you feel like the design process of softwares generally complies to basic principles of quality management?
I am running a small business with a few employees, do you recommand me to use Linux-KDE as IT infrastructure?

then based on my experience I would say no to each of those.
I think it is entirely fair to express my mind here and show to the potential readers diverging opinions on KDE. One can not always point out the good points.
Having said that I entirely agree as well that, by some aspect, kde is much mor advanced than anything free or commercial currently on the market.

Funny, as I could say yes to all of these points. So your opinion is either biased by a bad experience or by the fact you don't use KDE every day as your main environment.

Mind you, I use KDE exclusively since over 10 years now, and while there are some minor glitches here and there, none of these makes the use difficult or me wanting to change to another environment. Every time I have to use Windows for some reason or another it drives me crazy as it is slow, inconsistent and cumbersome to use. The same applies to Mac OS which simply doesn't fit my way of using a computer either.

But then, my statement is equally invalid as we both talk about KDE as a monolithic construct, while it is far from that, as "KDE" as "one software bundle" simply doesn't exist. So one would have to be much, much more specific about what exactly we do talk about:

the underlying corer structures like kdelibs, the plasma desktop, KWin, etc? Which of these exactly and what aspect of it?
individual applications? Which ones? You do know that there are several dozens of applications out there for very various purposes, so which exact do you talk about?
In what hardware environment do we use KDE? Desktop, laptop, server, tablets, etc? There are many different use cases, probably as many as there are users, so generalizing a statement without details is just not working here.

As to your question "Do you feel like the design process of softwares generally complies to basic principles of quality management?"

I don't know how much insight you have in professional software development or of quality management, but from the experience I have gathered over the years there is much, much worse out there, and KDE stands out rather well in comparison.

And here I do compare software development that is actually made by developers paid for by a company, compared to KDE where most members of the community are not paid for the work they do in KDE projects.

Disclaimer: I am member of the KDE Bugsquad (bug triaging, with a record of several thousand bugs triaged over the years) and the KDE Quality Team (helping to organize beta testing of major KDE SC releases) and a member of the Amarok team (bug triaging, testing, releases, etc.)

Mamarok wrote:Funny, as I could say yes to all of these points.

Which, again emphasize how important it is to have different point of view and opinion expressed in order to draw out a more accurate portrait.

I don't know how much insight you have in professional software development or of quality management, but from the experience I have gathered over the years there is much, much worse out there, and KDE stands out rather well in comparison.

I know that one of tha basic pillars of QM philosophy is to net consider how worse it could be but how better it can become

So your opinion is either biased by a bad experience

If my experience with KDE is bad, it is not a bias, it is my experience. Saying that everyone would have as bad would be a bias.

the fact you don't use KDE every day as your main environment

Yes I do

the underlying corer structures like kdelibs, the plasma desktop, KWin, etc? Which of these exactly and what aspect of it?
individual applications? Which ones? You do know that there are several dozens of applications out there for very various purposes, so which exact do you talk about?
In what hardware environment do we use KDE? Desktop, laptop, server, tablets, etc?

I think the discussion here is about lambda users for lambda daily use also it obviously means desktop and laptops. And about applications it means the set a of applications and lambda user would use for its daily task/enteratainement. aka if one really want to name some:
the plasma desktop
the kdepim
amarok
rekonq /konqueror
and maybe a few other
Basically all the usual stuff that are shipped with common distribution, like typically Kubuntu. Again the lambda users that want to quicly compare KDE based linux with other like Windows or Mac will not bother about specifig thing KWin as he most likely won't know what it is in the first place. Important is the desktop itself and basic stuff like email client internet client music player etc.
And if he just try it, that is his general impression that will matters, hence it does make sense to also sometime give your general impression and feeling

Cheers

Ha! No, I am not back on GNOME, and I have no plans for switching back to GNOME.

To your point, I have found a couple of annoying bugs, such as setting the time-zone and multi-monitor setup with different resolutions at home and at the office, but I figured a way around them and posted those tips on this forum. So right now I am very happy.

I understand the distinction between Linux and KDE/GNOME, etc programmers. I was just generalizing, I guess.

To my point, I still believe that KDE is so far the best platform on a Linux system (and I use it for my only computer). I have only, however, compared GNOME, Unity, KDE, and Cinnamon.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am still very happy with it.

Another happy KDE user here. Been using it on my production machine for several years now. Feels good to have a system I do not have to worry about tinkering with all the time and can be productive and have fun at the same time. With modern graphics acceleration (in my case an AMD APU) KDE has always felt more "fluid" (effects, transitions, etc.) than Gnome, XFCE, and even LXDE. I definitely have no plans to switching to any other DE. Plan to build me a HTPC for the livingroom using Netrunner OS; currently running Kubuntu on my current Desktop now and loving it. KDE is a very modern looking DE without trying to be a touchscreen/mobile environment. Long live the desktop.

My current specs:
Kubuntu 13.10
AMD A8 Richland 6500
2TB Samsung HD204UI (Replacing with an SSD soon)
8GB of ram
Antec Earthwatts Green 380W
Eliminated all optical drives
USB 3.0
HDMI