So how many desktop Linux users are there? If you believe in Net Applications' numbers it's just over 1%. If you want to buy W3Counter's numbers, 2.16% of users use Linux. Or, if you want to go by my own Web site, Practical Technology's AWStats statistics, 29.9% of desktop users prefer Linux.

KDE 4 features a new desktop shell named Plasma. Part of Plasma is support for desktop widgets, known as "Plasmoids", which can include a clock, a notepad and more.
Kubuntu users (and possibly other distros) have access to a package called extragear-plasma. This package, when installed, offers several additional Plasmoids, one of which is KDE Twitter.

KDE keeps the desktop relevant and powerful as it doesn’t force an interface designed for phones or tablets on desktop users. KDE offers different GUI environments for different form factores. There is Plasma Desktop for desktop computers,Plasma Netbook for netbooks, and "Plasma Active" for smartphones and tablets. So a desktop or tablet user doesn’t have to make any compromise.

The latest series of the K Desktop Environment now utilizes Plasma, a new desktop and panel user interface tool that aims for a more functional, user-friendly, and sleek KDE desktop. Plasma also supports Dashboard-like widgets called plasmoids.If you want to further enhance the look of your KDE 4 desktop, I have here a list of some of the most beautiful Plasma themes available:

KDE is the most powerful of desktop options for Linux users. Its heightened eye candy -- Compiz still works so the option of using the cube and its extensive desktop effects -- makes it a big step up from the other desktop choices. The new KDE brings major updates to the Plasma Workspaces, KDE Applications and the KDE Platform itself.

Is the Linux desktop ready for mainstream users? The developers behind the latest KDE Linux desktop release would probably say yes, that it lives up to the promise of the first KDE 4.0 release a year ago. KDE 4.2 is the second major point release for the KDE 4.x desktop. Its codename, "The Answer," also telegraphs its goals.

Like previous editions of Fedora, Fedora 17 will ship with several major feature enhancements. Some will be of interest only to enterprise users, while others will be mainly for desktop users. Other features will, of course, appeal to the needs of both enterprise and desktop users.

Plasma Active takes a new approach to touchscreen devices and tries to offer more than a set of applications for simple tasks. More than a desktop or even a notebook computer, a touchscreen device is likely to be carried around and used in different contexts, for different purposes.

With the release of KDE Software Complication 4.4, many may feel tempted to give KDE Plasma Desktop a try. I’ve gathered some tips for new users to get a more familiar desktop, based on frequently asked questions I’ve seen in various places.