Say hello to the new splashscreen!
“Hello new splashscreen”.
No, seriously now, here it is:
And here the video for those like lubos who hate flash (or who don’t have it installed), encoded the usual way.
Hope you like it. Happy new year everyone, may 2008 bring the best things to you! =)
For KDE, it will surely be a great one, the launch of KDE 4, the start of a new era, and then… but, hey! will say more of this yaddayadda in the next post… 
Ah, and see you next year¹! 
P.S. I’ll commit this into SVN in a second…
UPDATE: as nobody seems to read my answers, I’m pasting here my comment #7, which was intended as a reply for the first ones, but nobody seems to really have seen it.
Something better will be done for 4.1, I promise, it’s just that I couldn’t do anything else (and really, anything else) for 4.0 except than re-adapt the existing code for the old splashscreen to the new artwork: we’re in feature freeze now…
This is really, really the best thing we could have ever come up with, because of the limitations in ksplashx. It’s not the best thing ever, but I still think the final result *is* nice, after all.
I would like to add that I *will* add a progressbar, like in the mockup Nuno did
–
¹ Sorry, but I can say that only once in a year, can’t loose the opportunity
Comment by robert — December 31, 2007 @ 10:02 pm
I would fall in love with kde4 instantly if they flickered on one by one like fluorescent lights.
Comment by Jason — December 31, 2007 @ 10:39 pm
Great job! I wonder if it might look better if the icons don’t disappear completely when fading out. If they just sort of throb between full opacity and half-transparent, rather than disappearing completely…
Comment by Craig — December 31, 2007 @ 11:19 pm
Nice! I like it!
Comment by logixoul — December 31, 2007 @ 11:48 pm
Um. Hate to be negative but, why should there be indication of the loading progress? I always thought those blinking icons were pretty pointless. And so does Lubos, apparently -> http://lists.kde.org/?l=kde-core-devel&m=117267880927955&w=2
What I do like is openSUSE’s simpler splash that only has a tiny pulsing rotor and the word “openSUSE”.
Cheers, and onto a happy new year!
Comment by Karol Krizka — January 1, 2008 @ 12:56 am
I agree with logixoul, a simpler splashscreen would look nicer. Also I like the ones that cover the entire desktop before it is loaded. But other than that, it looks greaI love the mirror effects. Can’t wait to recompile my KDE4 install with the latest SVN version in a few days!
Comment by josh — January 1, 2008 @ 1:05 am
I really like the style I hope you continue to work on this you have done well so far. I find myself wondering if a dark background on the desktop aswell as this which fades onto the kde4 desktop would be good?
The icons are a bit too “blinky” for my taste, maybe making them highlight (not fade) in a slower strobe like manner would be an improvement?
Comment by ruphy — January 1, 2008 @ 2:49 am
@1, @2, @4, @5, @6:
Something better will be done for 4.1, I promise, it’s just that I couldn’t do anything else (and really, anything else) for 4.0 except than re-adapt the existing code for the old splashscreen to the new artwork: we’re in feature freeze now…
This is really, really the best thing we could have come up with, because of the limitations in ksplashx. It’s not the best thing ever, but I still think the final result *is* nice, after all.
Comment by fengshaun — January 1, 2008 @ 3:29 am
Great Job! Can’t wait till the final release comes out!
I really really appreciate the work and time you guys put on promoting free software!
Comment by mhb — January 1, 2008 @ 3:35 am
It’s slightly offtopic & you’ll probably hate me for saying this, but I personally believe in the equation:
needs splash screen = bloated.
My microwave or TV doesn’t have any splash screen at all :o)
Still, it’s a nice piece of artwork, ruphy. Here’s a toast to KDE being faster (and nicer) with each new month of 2008!
Comment by Kyle Cunningham — January 1, 2008 @ 4:58 am
Looks awesome, can’t wait to see it!
Comment by jlc — January 1, 2008 @ 9:59 am
It really looks great, and thanks for the mp4 file.
Comment by Nonka — January 1, 2008 @ 10:46 am
Looks good, much better than KD3, but I always prefer full-page splash screens. Now with Vista and Leopard both featuring the same, it only makes sense to go that way. For 4.1, it will make sense!
Comment by aik — January 1, 2008 @ 10:59 am
@mhb: In an ideal world, yes, there would be no load times at all, even on old computers. Until that day, informing users that something is happening is a good idea, imho.
“needs splash screen = bloated”
So I guess you mean every OS out there is bloated, since they inform you that something is happening while they load?
Comment by Fri13 — January 1, 2008 @ 12:33 pm
OS should not have a splash what informs loading, what i have seen, GNU/Linux is fast enought to load in few seconds, but OS can show splash in that time when it is loading system parts like servers, checking hardware and loading login screen.
But loading desktop or application is little different. KDE can have a splash but it should be that kind it is animated to good speed that it dont get user feel it is slow loading or it is very fast loading that splash loose its meaning.
But, then there is these amarok kind apps what takes 5-6 seconds to load and it is in that timeline what tells that is there good to be a splash or not. If splash adds 1-2 seconds more time for loading, it’s not good. But if it adds only few prosent more time from whole loading time, its good to inform somehow user that it is loading.
But splash should be informative too, digikam splash is very nice because it tells what it is doing. Gimp splash is too and Amarok splash just stands there until it is loaded. Even that my digikam/gimp loads as fast as amarok.
I like splash screens and i would like to have them for many other apps as config option. But application should always start as fast as it can. So even that apps use splash, it should not be reason not to tweak loading speeds.
I have liked KDE splash because it tells when KDE is ready. Still right now i have turned splash totally off because KDE starts so fast that i can start using it right away when kmenu shows up.
But on other side (Microsoft) there is much tweaking about splash. Vista splash is samekind as XP/2000. It disapears and then it is still loading basic stuff so that desktop dont respond to commands in few minutes.
I just dont like that Vista loads on this laptop in 20-30 seconds to login screen, then it takes 3-4 minutes to load desktop so it is usable (My Computer opens) after commands few minutes before.
And this is brand new laptop with 2Gb memory, Intel Core2Duo T7300 CPU (2.0Ghz) and i have booted to windows mayby 10 times and nothing having installed on it side.
So, splash screen is somewhere good status indicator and somehwere not so good. Especially it’s not good if splash screen isn’t doing it’s job, what is to tell user when waiting time is over.
KDE4 just rocks because it is up on running in 3-4 seconds (Mandriva cooker version) so i dont see much splash, but vista is so sad because system is in “halt” status few minutes after splash is gone and user cannot use it’s machine, even splash has informed that loading has ended.
I liked that KDE4 splash and i hope it is easy to customize so we can start making own
Comment by logixoul — January 1, 2008 @ 12:37 pm
that’s certainly fair enough ruph =)
Comment by mhb — January 1, 2008 @ 1:00 pm
aik: Surely there’s a plenty of complex software that has no splash screen because it loads quite fast.
I could tolerate a splash screen on a 600MHz machine with limited RAM, but not a 5sec delay on a C2D laptop with 1GB of RAM. Sorry :o)
And yes, I believe most of the operating systems of today are bloated.
Let us rather stop this offtopic thread and go celebrate The Year of KDE4!
Comment by 6205 — January 1, 2008 @ 1:57 pm
Oxygen icons are nice, but that widget theme is horrible…Much better is Domino for KDE 3.5 or KDE mockup by Everaldo on new Crystal icons preview image…
Comment by Marcello Anni — January 1, 2008 @ 3:57 pm
great as ever! you’re making a great job!
a question: there will be also a fullscreen version?
thank you
Comment by Roy Schestowitz — January 1, 2008 @ 4:12 pm
‘ell yeah! Great artwork to arrive many millions of desktops. Keep it up.
Comment by Marcus Moeller — January 1, 2008 @ 4:13 pm
Hi all.
Does ksplash still not support full transparency? The ’rounded corners’ does not seem to be shown correctly.
Also I find the K Logo a bit too BIG.
Best Regards
Marcus
Comment by ruphy — January 1, 2008 @ 4:27 pm
@18:
Nuno doesn’t like it, I personally do a bit… don’t know, if there will be one, will be for KDE 4.1.
@20:
Unfortunately no, and I can’t add the support for it for 4.0 (see my above comment).
Comment by Chani — January 1, 2008 @ 4:37 pm
I *like* seeing loading progress. I hate it when information is hidden for no apparent reason, it’s boring. watching stuff happen makes me feel like I’m doing something - and when it comes to booting up linux, watching all the text scroll by makes me interested in what’s really going on under there.
Comment by gigasoft — January 1, 2008 @ 4:46 pm
Great work, but I’m wishing a splash screen like your very simple, without so much icons, not so appropriate effects (fade should be used only the first time an object appear/disappear. We can see this in particular on Web 2.0 sites, where this effect is applied for example on deleting things) and depths that are not a really part of desktop.
Splash screens, as many say here, shouldn’t be intrusive. Users want to see what happen “under the cowling”, this is the best way to notify something.
However, I repeat, please, don’t use nor fade nor bounce effects on splash icons,.
Have a nice ‘08
Comment by Gds — January 1, 2008 @ 8:22 pm
I don’t like the splash screen too.
I think user shouldn’t care about what’s happening “inside”. A simple bar progress indicator would be the best for me.
Comment by ethana2 — January 1, 2008 @ 9:12 pm
And for that progress bar, if you do it, have it record itself each time it runs so that it continually gets more accurate each time.
Comment by Huh? — January 1, 2008 @ 11:18 pm
So what it’s telling me is that it loads the hard drive, then some tools, then the world, then a terminal, then KDE? Are these icons useful? I care why? Why do I have to watch this? I’d rather use my computer sooner.
Comment by Vlad — January 2, 2008 @ 1:25 am
I really like the emphasis on the gigantic K.
As for moving toward simpler loaders like mac os x.. well.. I think I have my work cut out for me for 4.1
…to the drawing board!
Comment by System Crasher — January 2, 2008 @ 11:06 am
Hi Riccardo!
I posted an article on my blog about this new splashscreen, since it’s an interesting news. I cited you, obviously.
Comment by ruphy — January 2, 2008 @ 11:11 am
@28:
I’m perfectly fine with it. =)
Feel free to pingback this page if you want.
Comment by mots — January 2, 2008 @ 2:52 pm
How about the same thing without blinking icons? Looks a bit annoying to me…
Pingback by oort » Blog Archive » kde 4.0 nadchodzi — January 2, 2008 @ 4:32 pm
[…] wszystkim pojawił się godny nowej wersji ekran startowy. Jest to jednak wersja tymczasowa i, jak stwierdził autor, robiona w […]
Comment by francesco — January 2, 2008 @ 8:53 pm
bravo riccà.. ci piace, complimenti!
forse chi dice che lampeggia troppo ha ragione, prova magari (se è possibile) a non far scomparire completamente le icone per avere meno contrasto.. non so se mi son spiegato..!
Comment by ruphy — January 2, 2008 @ 9:25 pm
okokok…
maybe I can’t really explain myself. =)
I *cannot* for now make an animation that just fades in the image. This is for the feature freeze. hope it’s clear now.
Pingback by A Look Back at KDE 4 RC2++ and A Look Forward to 4.0 | Linux Tech Daily — January 10, 2008 @ 9:21 pm
[…] things I like: -The new splash screen and logout screen are beautiful. Nice […]
Comment by davide — January 11, 2008 @ 4:44 pm
Italiano : é veramente un bel lavoro
English : Very nice, thanks
Français : Whaou, c’est super merki
Comment by Antti — January 21, 2008 @ 10:15 pm
It’s nice but I think that effect on those icons looks extremely ugly. Why? Mainly because it goes all the way to invisible and back to visible.
It would be better to have less transition on the icons and it would do much better if it where possible to make it 3d with circulation effect. Or 2d effect but like closing doors.
When that functionality becomes ready it will show itself by turning towards viewer.
Otherwise great work and I hope that improved version will be better. Thanks. Oh by the way. I don’t know why people are saying KDE 4.0 is bad. I don’t think so. It just might be the best thing hit on Linux Desktop.
It’s stable and fast. But userend side looks bit crappy. So far that hasn’t troubled me at all.
Comment by Antti — January 21, 2008 @ 10:19 pm
Oh, one more thing. Is making kde 4.0 splash screens same thing as making kde 3.x splashes or is there anything new to know about making them for our new desktop? I’d be eagler to make my old projects updated for kde4. thanks.