i just found this out today and have no idea how long it was possible to do this. files/folders can be shown on the KDE desktop by right-clicking the desktop and choosing  Desktop Settings->View->Layout->Folder View.

this is something i’ve whined about forever.

also if you right-click the KDE application launcher you can choose “Switch to Classic Menu Style” to get a traditional Start Menu type launcher.

source:
http://forums.opensuse.org/english/get-technical-help-here/applications/433464-kde-files-folders-desktop.html