KDE 3 vs. KDE 4: Which Linux Desktop Is Right for You?

“For those accustomed to the KDE 3 series, the first impression
created by KDE 4 is a great leap forward in visual sophistication.
Part of the reason for this impression is that the KDE 4 series
supports SVG images for icons and window decorations. However,
equally importantly, throughout the development of the KDE 4
series, the developers have paid close attention to visual
appearances, with theme and icon developers working in teams, such
as the one for Oxygen.

“You can praise this attention to the visual as being
sophisticated, or dismiss it as eye candy, but the fact remains
that it makes a difference. Out of the box, KDE 4 releases compare
visually with any operating system you can name. By contrast,
although you can customize KDE 3 almost out of recognition, as
aLinux does, it is still a desktop that reveals its origins in
2002. For better or worse, our concept of what a desktop should
look like has shifted, and KDE 3 has not been seriously revamped
for some times. Visually, it simply can’t keep up.”

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