4 ms·

Calibre just works and is great, but the user interface needs some work to modernize how it looks and to be less confusing in general. I'd love a fork that foll

Calibre just works and is great, but the user interface needs some work to modernize how it looks and to be less confusing in general. I'd love a fork that follows the Gnome Human Interface guidelines.

curiouser2 5y ago
Yeah it's wild how the use case for 90% of users is "convert epub/mobi/whatever to azw3 and upload to kindle" and doing that is buried in several right click context menus... I'm comfortable doing it now but it seems as easy as having a left pane for books in my "library" and right pane for books on my device
- tucosan 5y ago
  If you just want to convert books and then copy them to your device I suggest you have a look at the command line tools installed alongside calibre. `ebook-convert` does exactly that. https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/de/generated/de/ebook-convert.html https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/de/generated/de/ebook-conve...
  - hackerbrother 5y ago
    Yup! ebook-convert mybook.epub mybook.mobi
- skeletonjelly 5y ago
  Haven't used it in a little bit, but from memory most of my flow for this was drag and drop. Drag the source onto Calibre, then drag that to the Kindle logo up top.
Elora 5y ago
I'm afraid that attempts to change it will ruin it, like many other things. Calibre just works and once you've learned how to use it, it's great that it doesn't change on you for no particular reason. I personally wish it remain unchanged.
pmlnr 5y ago
> the user interface needs some work to modernize No, it doesn't. Eventually people learn to use it, and everyone is happy that way.
- mishac 5y ago
  Not everyone is happy, which is why many of us wish it had a better UI.
- FemmeAndroid 5y ago
  I don’t know. I’ve bounced off it multiple times and just given up.
  - the_af 5y ago
    What do you use instead of Calibre? I haven't found a similar tool that is as useful, is free, runs on Linux, etc. I find Calibre is not a tool to "enjoy" spending time on, but simply a tool to solve something specific so that I can then spend time on my Kindle. There are other tools where I want to enjoy the time I spend using them (say, text editors, paint programs, IDEs) but Calibre is not one of them.
    - Pasorrijer 5y ago
      I use AlReader on android... But I don't think there is a Linux equivalent.
- turtlebits 5y ago
  There are some huge UI warts, so I only use it to convert e-books. 1. I can't figure out how to change the styling of the book viewer. 2. Whenever I search, then try to hit backspace to modify my search terms, it tries to delete the first search result.
- zapzupnz 5y ago
  People shouldn't have to learn how to use its complicated interface. The killer feature is managing eBooks, not rocket science. There is nothing at all about the Calibre interface that needs to be the way it is. What's so interesting is the way it apes an old version of iTunes, one which nobody would've considered the pinnacle of UX, and still manages to complicate and bury things in unexpected places.
the_af 5y ago
I disagree and I hope no effort is wasted on this. Calibre is great and any confusion is solved by googling. If and only if the author(s) feel they have time and energy to spend on this, then that's ok. But no forks and no wasted energy, please! I'd rather they spent time solving bugs and improving/adding features.
- lobstrosity420 5y ago
  UIs that you have to google are like jokes you have to explain...
  - the_af 5y ago
    I've never met a UI for which I didn't have to google how to accomplish some things, even macOS' Completely self explanatory UIs don't exist. In the olden days they required manuals. Now we have online help and google at our fingertips, fortunately. Unlike jokes, UIs are not an end unto themselves. I'm more than willing to accept a somewhat ugly or cumbersome UI if the underlying tool is as good as Calibre.
Shorel 5y ago
Noooo, no more Gnome ultra-minimalist and featureless interfaces. If we ask for a better user interface, it pays to be sure it is actually an improvement.
mixmastamyk 5y ago
I'll be a bit nicer and say it needs some usability improvements. "Modernize"-ation and gnome-esque removal of features is _not_ what it needs.

curiouser2 5y ago

Yeah it's wild how the use case for 90% of users is "convert epub/mobi/whatever to azw3 and upload to kindle" and doing that is buried in several right click context menus... I'm comfortable doing it now but it seems as easy as having a left pane for books in my "library" and right pane for books on my device

tucosan 5y ago
If you just want to convert books and then copy them to your device I suggest you have a look at the command line tools installed alongside calibre. `ebook-convert` does exactly that. https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/de/generated/de/ebook-convert.html https://manual.calibre-ebook.com/de/generated/de/ebook-conve...
- hackerbrother 5y ago
  Yup! ebook-convert mybook.epub mybook.mobi
skeletonjelly 5y ago
Haven't used it in a little bit, but from memory most of my flow for this was drag and drop. Drag the source onto Calibre, then drag that to the Kindle logo up top.

Elora 5y ago

I'm afraid that attempts to change it will ruin it, like many other things. Calibre just works and once you've learned how to use it, it's great that it doesn't change on you for no particular reason. I personally wish it remain unchanged.

pmlnr 5y ago

> the user interface needs some work to modernize No, it doesn't. Eventually people learn to use it, and everyone is happy that way.

mishac 5y ago
Not everyone is happy, which is why many of us wish it had a better UI.
FemmeAndroid 5y ago
I don’t know. I’ve bounced off it multiple times and just given up.
- the_af 5y ago
  What do you use instead of Calibre? I haven't found a similar tool that is as useful, is free, runs on Linux, etc. I find Calibre is not a tool to "enjoy" spending time on, but simply a tool to solve something specific so that I can then spend time on my Kindle. There are other tools where I want to enjoy the time I spend using them (say, text editors, paint programs, IDEs) but Calibre is not one of them.
  - Pasorrijer 5y ago
    I use AlReader on android... But I don't think there is a Linux equivalent.
turtlebits 5y ago
There are some huge UI warts, so I only use it to convert e-books. 1. I can't figure out how to change the styling of the book viewer. 2. Whenever I search, then try to hit backspace to modify my search terms, it tries to delete the first search result.
zapzupnz 5y ago
People shouldn't have to learn how to use its complicated interface. The killer feature is managing eBooks, not rocket science. There is nothing at all about the Calibre interface that needs to be the way it is. What's so interesting is the way it apes an old version of iTunes, one which nobody would've considered the pinnacle of UX, and still manages to complicate and bury things in unexpected places.

the_af 5y ago

I disagree and I hope no effort is wasted on this. Calibre is great and any confusion is solved by googling. If and only if the author(s) feel they have time and energy to spend on this, then that's ok. But no forks and no wasted energy, please! I'd rather they spent time solving bugs and improving/adding features.

lobstrosity420 5y ago
UIs that you have to google are like jokes you have to explain...
- the_af 5y ago
  I've never met a UI for which I didn't have to google how to accomplish some things, even macOS' Completely self explanatory UIs don't exist. In the olden days they required manuals. Now we have online help and google at our fingertips, fortunately. Unlike jokes, UIs are not an end unto themselves. I'm more than willing to accept a somewhat ugly or cumbersome UI if the underlying tool is as good as Calibre.

Shorel 5y ago

Noooo, no more Gnome ultra-minimalist and featureless interfaces. If we ask for a better user interface, it pays to be sure it is actually an improvement.

mixmastamyk 5y ago

I'll be a bit nicer and say it needs some usability improvements. "Modernize"-ation and gnome-esque removal of features is _not_ what it needs.