BANGALORE, INDIA: The KDE Community, a provider in free and open source software for desktop and portable computing on Wednesday announced the immediate availability of KDE 4.3 Beta 1, the first preview of the 3rd iteration over the KDE 4 desktop, applications and development platform.

KDE 4.3 focuses on polishing and completing the user experience by providing a modern and free working environment, said a press release.

KDE's tools and applications are available in more than 50 languages. The KDE team is now in bugfixing mode in order to provide a smooth KDE 4.3.0 to end users in late July.

Highlights of KDE 4.3 include:

*  Integration of technologies, such as PolicyKit and Geolocation services

* New Window animation effects, a more usable Run Command popup and improved
   addons in Plasma

* Many bugfixes and improvements across all applications and more integration of features coming
   with the KDE 4 platform

* The tree mode and the default icon mode in System Settings

Some Linux/UNIX OS vendors have provided binary packages of KDE 4.3 Beta 1 for some versions of their distribution, and in other cases community volunteers have done so.

Some of these binary packages are available for free download from KDE's http://download.kde.org. Additional binary packages, as well as updates to the packages now available, may become available over the coming weeks, said the release.

The complete source code for KDE 4.3 Beta1 may be freely downloaded. Instructions on compiling and installing KDE 4.3 Beta1 are available from the KDE 4.3 Beta1 Info Page, it added.

For more information on this visit:- http://kde.org/announcements/announce-4.3-beta1.php