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

by pmlnr 6y ago

mishac 6y ago
Not everyone is happy, which is why many of us wish it had a better UI.
FemmeAndroid 6y ago
I don’t know. I’ve bounced off it multiple times and just given up.
- the_af 6y 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 6y ago
    I use AlReader on android... But I don't think there is a Linux equivalent.
turtlebits 6y 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 6y 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.
- pmlnr 6y ago
  EVERY user interface needs to be learnt. Ask anyone: they hate it when it changes.
  - zapzupnz 6y ago
    Yes, they all need to be learnt. How odd that an excuse for failing to reduce complexity? There are well-documented user interface design guidelines to follow, both vendor specific and general ones made by experts like Jakob Nielsen. Well-designed user interfaces lend themselves to user experiences where the learning curve is low, not steep, sometimes coming close to flat. The only excuse I can fathom for those who prefer the learning curve be as high as possible or never be lowered is resentment that their own efforts to scale the same mountain of learning the UI themselves. I call that technical elitism. It says “I worked hard to learn how complicated interfaces work, everybody else should be held to the same expectation”. No, they should not.
paxys 6y ago
Considering that it is an amazing piece of software but 90% of the comments on this thread (made up of mostly technical users) are about its user interface, it should be obvious that there are some problems.
- zaphirplane 6y ago
  There are people saying it needs improvement and people saying it’s ok for them, works for them as power users

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

by pmlnr 6y 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 6y ago

Not everyone is happy, which is why many of us wish it had a better UI.

FemmeAndroid 6y ago

I don’t know. I’ve bounced off it multiple times and just given up.

the_af 6y 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 6y ago
  I use AlReader on android... But I don't think there is a Linux equivalent.

turtlebits 6y 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 6y 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.

pmlnr 6y ago
EVERY user interface needs to be learnt. Ask anyone: they hate it when it changes.
- zapzupnz 6y ago
  Yes, they all need to be learnt. How odd that an excuse for failing to reduce complexity? There are well-documented user interface design guidelines to follow, both vendor specific and general ones made by experts like Jakob Nielsen. Well-designed user interfaces lend themselves to user experiences where the learning curve is low, not steep, sometimes coming close to flat. The only excuse I can fathom for those who prefer the learning curve be as high as possible or never be lowered is resentment that their own efforts to scale the same mountain of learning the UI themselves. I call that technical elitism. It says “I worked hard to learn how complicated interfaces work, everybody else should be held to the same expectation”. No, they should not.

paxys 6y ago

Considering that it is an amazing piece of software but 90% of the comments on this thread (made up of mostly technical users) are about its user interface, it should be obvious that there are some problems.

zaphirplane 6y ago
There are people saying it needs improvement and people saying it’s ok for them, works for them as power users