<chapter id="what-is-kde">
<docinfo>
<date>02/10/2000</date>
<releaseinfo>1.94.00</releaseinfo>
</docinfo>
<title>What is KDE?</title>
<anchor id="whatiskde">

<sect1 id="what-is-kde-introduction">
<title>What is KDE?</title>

<para>KDE is a desktop environment. In other words, KDE is a collection of
programs, technologies and documentation that attempt to make life easier for
the computer users. KDE is targeted to Unix workstations. It features network
transparency and a contemporary work philosophy. </para>

<para>The creators of the K Desktop environment are a world-wide group of
software engineers. This groups major goal in free software development, is to
provide high quality software that empowers the user with easy control of his
computer's resources.</para>

<para>KDE seeks to fill the need for an easy to use desktop for Unix
workstations, similar to the desktop environments found under the MacOS or
Window95/NT. KDE fills the need of users for an easy to use work
environment. Tools used to reach this end are: enhanced inter application
communication, component reuse, generalized drag and drop, uniform look and feel
and many more. Thus, KDE offers much more than the traditional Unix window
managers.</para>

<para>Stability, scaleabitilty and openness are qualities which have made Unix
the undisputed choice for the information technology professional for many
years.  KDE builds on top of this excellent base framework and brings new, much
needed qualities: usability, user friendliness and beauty! KDE was the first and
stays the forefront player into bringing these qualities to Unix.  KDE was the
first, and stays the forefront player in bringing these qualities to Unix, which
constituted for years, the premier platform for server computers and scientific
institutions, but wasn't very attractive for desktop users.</para>

<para>Without Unix the internet would not exist, or at least would have a
vastly different form. Unix has not, until now, addressed the needs of the
average computer user. This fact is particularly unfortunate, since a number of
implementations of Unix (<ulink url="http://www.linux.org">Linux</ulink>, <ulink
url="http://www.freebsd.org">FreeBSD</ulink>, <ulink
url="http://www.netbsd.org">NetBSD</ulink>, etc) are freely available on the
internet, all of which are of exceptional quality and stability.  </para>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="what-is-kde-the-desktop">
<title>KDE The Desktop Environment</title>

<para>In combination with a free implementation of Unix, KDE provides to the
world an open and completely free desktop computing platform for either at home
or at work.</para>

<para> This platform is available to anyone free of charge including its source
code for anyone to modify.</para>

<para>While there will always be room for improvement we believe we have now
delivered a viable alternative to some of the more commonly found and commercial
operating systems/desktops combinations available today. It is our hope that the
combination of Unix and KDE will finally bring the same open, reliable, stable,
and monopoly free computing to the average computer user, that scientists and
computing professionals world-wide have enjoyed for years.  </para>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="what-is-kde-the-development-framework">
<title>KDE The Application Development Framework</title>

<para>KDE focuses on the user's needs, but it's obvious that this focus is more
easily achieved by also giving developers the best tools.  KDE code contains,
and comes with some of the best development technologies of the modern computing
age.</para>

<para>Authoring applications under Unix/X11 used to be an extremely tedious and
labor intensive process. KDE recognizes the fact that a computing platform is only as
good as the amount of first class applications available to the users of that
particular platform.</para>

<para>KDE defines new technologies in <abbrev>DCOP</abbrev> and KParts, created
to offer a component document model and technology.  Together with the complete
KDE libraries programming interface, <abbrev>DCOP</abbrev>/KParts are set in
direct competition with other similar technologies like Microsoft's
<abbrev>MFC</abbrev>/<abbrev>COM</abbrev>/ActiveX technologies. The excellent
quality and the high level of refinement of KDE's application programming
interface (<abbrev>API</abbrev>) enables developers to focus on original and
interesting issues and avoid reinventing the wheel.</para>

<para> In view of these circumstances the KDE Project has developed a first rate
compound document application framework, implementing the latest advances in
framework technology and thus positioning itself in direct competition to such
popular development frameworks as for example Mircrosoft's
<abbrev>MFC</abbrev>/<abbrev>COM</abbrev>/ActiveX technology. KDE's
<abbrev>KOM</abbrev>/OpenParts compound document technology enables developers
to quickly create first rate applications implementing cutting edge
technology.</para>

</sect1>

<sect1 id="what-is-kde-the-office-suite">
<title>KDE The Office Application Suite</title>

<para>In its current form, KDE provides, apart the essential desktop component
applications, a suite of powerful office programs, known to world under the name
<application>KOffice</application>.</para>

<para><application>KOffice</application> is based on the KDE
<abbrev>DCOP</abbrev>/KParts technologies. It contains presently: a word
processor with desktop publishing capabilities
(<application>KWord</application>), a spreadsheet application
(<application>KSpread</application>) and accompanying Charting program
(<application>KChart</application>), a presentation program
(<application>KPresenter</application>) and a vector drawing program
(<application>KIllustrator</application>).  Tying things together is the
<application>KOffice Workspace</application>, an integrated shell to ease the
use of the <application>KOffice</application> components in conjunction with
each other.  Additional components include an email client, a news reader, and a
powerful <abbrev>PIM</abbrev> (Personal Information Manager - an
organizer).</para>

<para>While some of those components are still in alpha developement others are
already extremely powerful.  For example, <application>KPresenter</application>,
KDE's presentation application was successfully used at the 5th international
Linux congress in Cologne, Germany to deliver a KDE presentation.  </para>

<para>We would like to invite you to <ulink url="http://www.kde.org">learn more
about KDE</ulink> and <ulink
url="http://koffice.kde.org">KOffice</ulink>.</para>

</sect1>
</chapter>
