I used to have an occassional kernal panic before 10.2.3. After upgrading to 10.2.3 on my Titanium 1 gig, they stopped. I skipped upgrading to 10.2.4 and 10.2.5 and then upgraded to 10.2.6.
I use a lot of different applications every day and never have a kernal panic.
Apple and The Blue Screen of Death, the Truth
Apple and The Blue Screen of Death, the Truth