The Problem with “K”

The Problem with “K”

I recently purchased a new PC for my parents. It came with MS Windows XP preinstalled. I had purchased the PC from a local vendor and I assume that it is a pirated copy that was on there from the beginning. Also, the OS was missing all critical pieces of software such as security patches, service packs, MS’s spy removal tool etc.

One thing I knew from the beginning was the XP was hard to maintain. My sister has a laptop, my parents have a desktop (this new one) and I have a laptop. So I decided that I must try to switch to something more stable and secure. FreeBSD/KDE was my choice.

I like KDE. It is terrific to see how open source has evolved and produced so much of value to so many people. I don’t know the status of GNOME but I believe they must be doing well in their efforts too.

But there are some critical elements missing for it to be successful. One is that of usability. KDE is fantastically non intuitive even though it is almost similar to MS.

You see, everything in MS Windows is self explanatory. For example: Internet Explorer helps one explore the internet. What does Konqueror mean? What’s with KXSLDbg? What is KImageMapEditor? How about Kommander Editor? Kate? KDVI? KPDF? KPovModeler? KolourPaint? Whose bright idea was this? How am I to explain the history of “K” in everything to my mom and dad? Never mind explain it, I don’t know what the hell these mean myself! All I use my laptop is for writing a few emails, updating my resume, chatting with my friends, reading the news and once in a while writing.

Linux today is where it was with respect to windows 5 or 10 years ago! It can’t seem to think of ordinary users or ordinary people that wish to use it. Agreed it is free. So is a pirated copy of Windows XP/MS office. It is hard to get away from the “crack” M$ provides because there are no real alternatives.

When is KDE going to come up with a clean, easy user interface that is a little different from the “Krack” it is peddling? Why is there such a strong anti-ordinary user branding when it comes to open source? Can I expect to see a user interface as simple as the one iPod has? Can I expect a home PC with minimal features such as Chat, Emails, Browse, VoIP, Wireless, MP3 player, DVD player and a simple file system that I can explain to my parents?

The answer is, KDE/Open Source movement doesnt care much. And probably rightly so. They are building what they need and not what my parents or I need. If you want something, go ahead build it yourself, "the source is available", is what they say. On the other hand M$ probably cares, but they just cant get it right either!

So we have a new market here, that could be explored. Is it another untapped blue ocean opportunity?