Will GNOME 2.24 improve the Linux desktop?

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The
latest and greatest version of GNOME is now out adding a whole bunch of
new application and improving the Linux desktop experience for its
users – or does it?

Among the improvements in GNOME 2.24 that the GNOME foundation highlights on their new features
page is the integration of a new instant messaging client – Telepathy.
Frankly I don’t know why they wouldn’t just stick with Pidgin which is
GTK+ based anyways. There is however an improved SIP based audio/video
conferencing client (Ekiga 3.0), though again there are always other
choices (like Skype).

Then there are some file management
improvements (tabbed windows capability among them) and some new
desktop theme and sound options. No none of it is terribly exciting but
there is another component that likely is for alot of people.

GNOME 2.24 is the first release of the GNOME Mobile
development platform. GNOME Mobile brings standard desktop components
together to provide a core platform on which distributors and handheld
manufacturers can build rich programming environments.

GNOME
has become the defacto standard for many mobile Linux implementations,
though Qt (core tech behind GNOME rival KDE) is still fighting a good
fight there too.

No GNOME 2.24 is not the big shift that KDE
4.x represents but hey lots of people like and use GNOME (not me) and
the continuous process of its evolution is a good thing overall.