A Look at KDE Desktop Effects

“KDE’s visual effects for windows and menus technically dates
back to KDE 3. Experimental programs like kompmgr provided drop
shadows and transparency for windows, and the KDE desktop itself
had built-in support for basic menu transparency, shadows, and
other effects.

“With the coming of KDE 4, the number of effects has multiplied,
and KWin (KDE’s window manager) is now on par with Compiz (a window
manager with numerous desktop effects). Moreover, KWin’s primary
advantage over Compiz is that it is part of KDE and integrates
perfectly with the rest of the desktop. While support for Compiz
has been added, there are still some outstanding glitches when run
on top of KDE.

“One misconception about desktop effects is that they are solely
used to increase aesthetic appeal and add no practical
functionality. The reality, however, is that many desktop effects
provide accessibility features and productivity enhancements, but
having an awesome-looking desktop certainly doesn’t hurt.”

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