I recently thought about just how far they’ve both come since their inceptions, and realised that for the many Linux users that have come to the platform in more recent years, the reasoning behind having two major desktops may not be at all clear – it’s just something that’s always been. Of course, it hasn’t always been this way.
Here is a completely unbiased look at where both GNOME and KDE have come since inception. It’s always been argued why there is a need for two desktops (not to mention the others), and it’s a good question. You can all just use KDE and make things easier ;-)
Source: PC Authority