KDE 4.4 Beta 1 – Tabbed Windows Review – openSUSE

Ok,

I have to admit when I first thought or heard of this feature in KDE 4.4, I wasn’t really excited. I thought.. now why the hell would I want that.

Then I started using it.. and found quite a few usage scenario’s for it.

The first one, I realized right after I launched my VirtualBox. I had always hated how VirtualBox had a separate window for each VM and / or the main VirtualBox console, however, now with the Windows Grouping this is no longer an issue.

Here’s a picture of the Virtual Box window open with 2 tabs.
KDE 44 Tabbed Windows Full

Here’s a close look at the tabs only
KDE 44 Tabbed Windows Small

After using it with Virtual Box, I realized that there may be other very simple usages of this, which include having 2 browsers open for website compatibility (I primarily use Opera, which some sites are not compatible with, and to combat the second window being open, I grouped my Opera and Firefox).

I’m sure there are many other usages of the tabbed windows, that I’m overlooking. I’ve only used it for about 45 minutes and found those 2 cases. .

I’d be interested in knowing what usability you think it will help you with.

I will later write about adding KDE 4.4 onto openSUSE 11.2, probably when KDE 4.4 hits RC1.

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About ben.kevan

I am ben kevan.. Well yeah. .that's about it.

8 Comments

  • Peter
    December 5, 2009 | Permalink |

    IDE + API documentation

  • December 5, 2009 | Permalink |

    Waiting ’til KWin makes it possible to move app tabs to window caption so KDE’s Chromium like browser could exist :] .

  • December 6, 2009 | Permalink |

    @Livio

    Yes.. same here.. I’m going to love it when that happens.. KDE sure is coming a long way and it’s giong fast, just like the underlined QT

  • December 6, 2009 | Permalink |

    Multiple OpenOffice documents.

  • December 12, 2009 | Permalink |

    Fluxbox had this feature for ages, and it is one of the reasons, why i switched from kde to fluxbox… Good to see, that it will get finally implemented in kde!

  • correnos
    December 13, 2009 | Permalink |

    Funny, I was daydreaming of this exact same feature with no knowledge of KDE’s implementation just the other day. Great minds think alike, I guess…

  • December 13, 2009 | Permalink |

    I hope you mean dreaming as in a figurative sense (ie wishing it were there), and not a figurative dream with KDE tabbed windows being included. :) . Thanks for stopping by

  • Darth Tesla
    January 24, 2010 | Permalink |

    Tabbed windows ACROSS the top? …no way on a wide screen monitor. Color-coded or left-right-top-bottom choices? …excellent idea way too long overdue [ala Firefox's Tab Kit and ChromaTabs]

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