OSNews

I have come to actually like the default kde4 start menu.
Thing is, I realized that I never really liked the old one, neither do I like the windows one - at least as a day-to-day method to launch an application.

During all my computer activities, I mostly use only a handful of applications (just like the vast majority of people, I suspect). So I put most of them in the quick launch bar in windows, or drop them unceremoniously on the desktop. For the less often used ones, I often browse to them with a file explorer in windows, or start them from the command line in linux.

I found that both with windows and kde3, I tend to prefer using any method but the start menu to launch an application. I mostly only use the start menu as a directory of installed apps from which I can fish out some application's icon and copy it as a shortcut elsewhere, anywhere (desktop or quick launch bar).

I just don't like navigating those gigantic hierarchical application menus. They are unwieldy, offer smallish mouse targets and one mouse mishap (like moving out of the current sub-menu) is enough to take you to a completely different and unexpected location within this vile arborescence.

So, for me at least, the kde4 start menu makes sense: you navigate through application and mark favorites, which then become readily accessible on the first page of the menu. This captures my day-to-day application launching workflow within a single place.

The search function comes in handy as well during those expeditions to locate that thing you just installed.

Edited 2008-06-02 14:04 UTC