Thousands more thanks to support for Google Gadgets and Mac OS X dashboard widgets.

Widgets can be written in Ruby, Python, JavaScript and C++ and KDE expects "many more" Plasma widgets will be available in the coming months.

Keyboard shortcuts can now be assigned to widgets for quick access and the Folderview widget allows files in any local (including the "desktop") or remote location to be previewed or opened

Other desktop enhancements include the ability to zoom in and out of named desktops, a new System Settings module for fine-tuning Plasma themes, and the option to have the desktop background as a slideshow.

Support for installing and moving widgets with drag-and-drop is also a feature, and widgets can be dragged and locked to the panel which can now be set to hide automatically.