This is going to be a lofty goal, detailing the rich feature-set of the free KDE-based PIM known as Kontact.
Because many things integrate into Kontact, I’ll start with the base install on Kubuntu.
Kontact is built from the components of KOrganizer, KMail, KAddressBook, Kolab, and the ever-important Summary. Other components, such as a news reader like KNode, integrate as well.
Summary is important because it aggregates the other components into a view that allows the addition of any RDF source (such as news feeds, etc).
KOrganizer is the well-rounded groupware-enabled calendar system for Kontact.
KAddressBook is implemented as the contact manager for Kontact. A significant feature here is the integration with Kopete for instant messaging and online status.
KMail is awesome. It handles encrypted email of many different types. I use it for IMAP because it’s the best offered by my ISP. Fortunately Google recently added IMAP to it’s list of supported mail client protocols for GMail, however Kontact will still handle GMail through POP3 if desired. Other significant features of the KMail component include the ability to digitally sign and encrypt content using GnuPG. It also packs a powerful punch in the fight against unsolicited junk/commercial email with the integration of SpamAssassin from the Apache Foundation.
You should also take the time to install some add-ins.
Knode for example is a great news reader. You might like Pan or one of the others better just because you’re used to it or have been using it for a long time, but I urge you to at least try it out. It may not be the best for binaries, however the messaging is great, and I like the convergence with the mail and calendar functions.
Knotes is already included, but very plain with regards to functionality. Replace it with Basket notepad, which provides rich text, application and url launching, amongst other impressive features.
If you’re new to the world of RSS or new to the operating system, spend some quality time with Akregator. It can save you some time. I use it in conjunction with KTTS, and have it read aloud lengthy articles that I’m interested in. I use Google Reader to manage most of my RSS subscriptions, but here again, the tightly integrated KDE applications have some special benefits for their users.
I’ve probably overlooked some awesome plug-ins, so leave a comment and make a suggestion.
Stumble it! 
Save This Page
Post a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.