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For me the native version is stunningly good. Both on desktop and mobile devices. It loads tremendously fast, has the correct font types and no smuck. The only

For me the native version is stunningly good. Both on desktop and mobile devices. It loads tremendously fast, has the correct font types and no smuck. The only sidestep I sometimes make is to Boreal[1][2] as a native ios app. It has a more convenient way if reading the comments. Double tap a comment to collapse instead of hit the little minus sign. Especially as I read with only my left hand and minus sign is on the right. Funny how little things can be so great. In addition it's indenting is easier to follow. However, I keep switching back to the default hn site as ios doesn't let you set chrome as default browser so you can't open all articles default in chrome from Boreal (you can in safari, embedded safari, their native browser or their in-app browser). [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9830622 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9830622 (old version, current version is much better). [2] https://itunes.apple.com/nl/app/boreal-hacker-news-client/id925851179?mt=8 https://itunes.apple.com/nl/app/boreal-hacker-news-client/id...

allover 9y ago
It loads fast and doesn't use web fonts, but that's not really a high bar, for essentially a forum. Apart from that it's not exactly a pleasant reading experience. Tiny text for modern displays. Poor typography (bad line-height of content, needlessly cramped padding in listing). Ugly beige background colour, randomly constrained to a container, (why not be all-white or all-beige). Poor click targets for smaller displays. On desktop, I use the Georgify [1] Chrome extension, fixes my (desktop-related) complaints above whilst staying minimal. For mobile I use the Premii iOS app (it also has web and android versions) [2]. Well designed, lots of nice features like the comment collapsing you mention. [1] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/georgify/ofjfdfaleomlfanfehgblppafkijjhmi?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/georgify/ofjfdfale... [2] https://github.com/premii/hn https://github.com/premii/hn
- gkya 9y ago
  I disagree all of your criticisms. Apart from the last one, they are all subjective and I disagree without a reason. I like what I see. Wrt sizes of the click targets, HN, unlike many products of elegant (!) design, let's you zoom in an out, so that is not a problem.
  - allover 9y ago
    Zooming in and out and panning around a webpage is a terrible user experience in my opinion.
    - jjeaff 9y ago
      Yes, I like the option to pan and zoom. But if I have to do so, that is indicative of a bad design in my book.
- bastijn 9y ago
  Interesting. I find the app you mention an example of an experience worse than the regular web page on mobile. On ios hn actually looks great. https://imgur.com/JP8LxIT https://imgur.com/JP8LxIT
  - allover 9y ago
    That's not great. Far worse and less usable than Premii's iOS app imo, subjective though obviously.
traitormonkey 9y ago
if random users have literally invented dozens of different ways of viewing your site then your design probably sucks ass - and boy this one does but nobody really comes here for tiny dancing font - more to gape at just how wrong others can be on the internet.

allover 9y ago

It loads fast and doesn't use web fonts, but that's not really a high bar, for essentially a forum. Apart from that it's not exactly a pleasant reading experience. Tiny text for modern displays. Poor typography (bad line-height of content, needlessly cramped padding in listing). Ugly beige background colour, randomly constrained to a container, (why not be all-white or all-beige). Poor click targets for smaller displays. On desktop, I use the Georgify [1] Chrome extension, fixes my (desktop-related) complaints above whilst staying minimal. For mobile I use the Premii iOS app (it also has web and android versions) [2]. Well designed, lots of nice features like the comment collapsing you mention. [1] https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/georgify/ofjfdfaleomlfanfehgblppafkijjhmi?hl=en https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/georgify/ofjfdfale... [2] https://github.com/premii/hn https://github.com/premii/hn

gkya 9y ago
I disagree all of your criticisms. Apart from the last one, they are all subjective and I disagree without a reason. I like what I see. Wrt sizes of the click targets, HN, unlike many products of elegant (!) design, let's you zoom in an out, so that is not a problem.
- allover 9y ago
  Zooming in and out and panning around a webpage is a terrible user experience in my opinion.
  - jjeaff 9y ago
    Yes, I like the option to pan and zoom. But if I have to do so, that is indicative of a bad design in my book.
bastijn 9y ago
Interesting. I find the app you mention an example of an experience worse than the regular web page on mobile. On ios hn actually looks great. https://imgur.com/JP8LxIT https://imgur.com/JP8LxIT
- allover 9y ago
  That's not great. Far worse and less usable than Premii's iOS app imo, subjective though obviously.

traitormonkey 9y ago

if random users have literally invented dozens of different ways of viewing your site then your design probably sucks ass - and boy this one does but nobody really comes here for tiny dancing font - more to gape at just how wrong others can be on the internet.