The Linux K Desktop Environment project yesterday released KDE 4.1 of the desktop suite.

The latest version builds on the rejigged code base established in KDE 4.0. That was essentially a stripped-down system using the Qt 4 application development framework after developers scrapped Qt 3, rebuilding the desktop environment from the ground up.

Users had grumbled about the lack of features in KDE 4, released for Windows as well as Linux and Unix flavours including Mac OS X. Some also complained about its buggy temperament.

KDE 4.1 carries new apps and developed features including Personal Information Management suite KDE-PIM, which comes with its email client KMail, the planner KOrganizer, Akregator, KNode (an RSS feed reader) and several other components built into the Kontact shell.

The KDE community said the new desktop shell Plasma – introduced in version 4 – "has matured to the point where it can replace the KDE 3 shell for most casual users".

Dragon Player media player and the KDE CD player have also been ported to KDE 4, while other features have been refined including the Konqueror browser. ®

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