For those of you who don't regularly keep up with the Linux world, e17 is a desktop environment. Like Gnome and KDE, but a little bit more lean. It comes with a basic file mover/selector, but not much else.

What is it made for? Well, they tried to go for the most eyecandy while supporting even the oldest systems. It is a super light interface which takes up little RAM. And thanks to the way Linux works, all you have to do is have Gnome and KDE installed and it supports all gnome and KDE programs.

As of right now, it is not nearly as pretty as KDE with compiz, but is far prettier than Gnome and KDE without compiz. The interface is light and simple, with some really cool little features. The thing that really sets it apart is that the themes are all inclusive, so when you install a theme, your WHOLE desktop looks right. KDE is missing good panel theme support, and Gnome is just ugly all around.

I can't help but from feel a slight Mac taste with the whole layout, but it comes together well. Also, their run program is GREAT. If I could get that in KDE, I would be a very happy man.

To be honest, I don't think that e17 is the next big thing, it is still missing a lot and is not much more than a great concept. With that, I raise my drinking glass to a good idea, and wish it luck, and tell it that it shouldn't feel bad if I have went back to my beloved KDE in the morning.

http://dbeta.com/pictures/screenshots/e17desktop.png