4 ms·

I'm sure calibre 2.0 is a great technical feat, and kudos for all the work put into this product, but judging by the screenshot the user interface is equally cl

by vj44 12y ago

I'm sure calibre 2.0 is a great technical feat, and kudos for all the work put into this product, but judging by the screenshot the user interface is equally clunky as in 1.0. This software does mostly everything I need it for to convert ebooks... but can you, the authors, please improve the UI?

greyone 12y ago
I agree the app is good - but the user interface has always needed simplifying.
- johnchristopher 12y ago
  Do you mean you simplify the UI yourself with the configuration settings or that you wished it was simplified ? I found calibre less clunky and very clean once I hid icons, menus and submenus I don't use. Maybe there should be some kind of toggle mode (easy, god, expert, etc.).
- dredmorbius 12y ago
  More specificity on what you'd like simplified would be useful.
josealicarte 12y ago
True, the apps is Awesome, but the GUI must upgrade a bit, so far Calibre is good
walterbell 12y ago
What would you change first - the viewer, editor, cover browser, or config?
- dmix 12y ago
  Preference menus need the most work and the giant toolbar with icons is nearly useless.
w1ntermute 12y ago
Considering that it's free and open source, and that I use Calibre for a fraction of a percent of the time that I do actually reading the books on my Kindle that I loaded using Calibre, I would rather that the creator of Calibre focused on the technical details, such as making sure that the file conversion/transmission is working correctly.
- chipotle_coyote 12y ago
  While that's absolutely desirable in terms of priority, calibre's UI has been not merely ugly for its entire six-year history, it's been a jet-powered unicycle ride to Crazytown for its entire six-year history. We're talking about things like just following generally accepted conventions for how to structure GUI menus. I don't think this is a matter of calibre de-prioritizing fixing the UI. I'm pretty sure it's a conscious choice. They know their UI backward and forward and it works for them, therefore anyone who complains about the UI Just Doesn't Get It. That unicycle is BEAUTIFUL, dammit.
  - johnm1019 12y ago
    upvote for describing a UI experience as "a jet-powered unicycle ride to Crazytown"
  - keithpeter 12y ago
    "...a jet-powered unicycle ride to Crazytown..." I'd like to see a few more jet-powered unicycles rides. They sound fun. Functionality, especially in niche software, is sometimes more important than some kind of idealised smooth workflow. The nearest physical analogue I can conjure up is to contrast a 'sound system' as used in dances in church halls and community centres round here (wardrobe sized speaker cabinets with 18" paper cone speakers, horn tweeters, all patched into a rack based preamplifier that only the constructor and a few close associates know how to navigate) and a domestic hifi by (say) Denon. Both have their place.
    - unfamiliar 12y ago
      >Functionality, especially in niche software, is sometimes more important than some kind of idealised smooth workflow. I buy this argument for professional GIS software, database management software, etc. But come one, Calibre basically has 3 purposes: keep a library of ebooks, convert them between formats, transfer to devices. It shouldn't be so complicated. Every time I go open it I have to relearn how it works.
publicfig 12y ago
I was so excited to see this headline specifically because I hoped they would be doing a UI overhaul. Unfortunately, that just seems to not be the case or even on the horizon. I'd definitely consider dedicating time with it, but I've heard nothing but bad things about trying to work with the maintainers of the code.
- Touche 12y ago
  Calibre makes it dead simple to manage a library of ebooks and allows you to do just about anything that can be done with them. That's the definition of a good UI. Whether it follows modern design trends is irrelevant. A UI overhaul would be a terrible idea.
  - jychang 12y ago
    I disagree. The UI is extremely messy, and far from streamlined. I couldn't figure out how to do basic management tasks at first.
    - zo1 12y ago
      Those are very undefined and user-specific complaints you have. And I've seen nothing in your post that justifies a full UI rewrite. Perhaps some changes, to cater for new/novice/confused users, but a UI rewrite is just a ridiculous thing to request.
    - dredmorbius 12y ago
      I agree with you that the calibre UI could use help. *Being specific on where exactly it's deficient would be useful. "It's clunky" really isn't actionable criticism. My own comments are sparse largely as I've found other elements (mostly the readers) so abysmal that I make little use of Calibre.
      - michaelmrose 12y ago
        You realize you can tell it to use your system default to read a given format right its under behavior in preferences
btian 12y ago
Why don't you help out? It's fully open source.
- dunno 12y ago
  Look at the commits. It's not fully open source at all. The source is available if you want to fork it, but try submitting a patch...
  - fedesilva 12y ago
    Open source does not mean "Accept All Patches At All Costs", it does not even mean accept any patch at all.
    - akerl_ 12y ago
      Given that the thread you're responding to leads in with the suggestion to contribute code to improve the application, your point is both factual and totally tangental to the conversation. If the project is hostile to merging patches (which Calibre's developer had demonstrated), that is relevant when discussing the possibility of a user providing contributions for improving the UI.
thejdude 12y ago
The UI truly is horrible. I use calibre for converting web pages I want to read offline into epub, but then I use the file manager to transfer the epub onto my device - it seems to be the easiest way. Also, on every single conversion I have to tell it again that I don't want a huge margin. Why would I want to make my e-reader's screen ever smaller? Maybe it's best to build a whole new app out of the low-level libraries and tools that make calibre. A simple app with a simple UI.
RexRollman 12y ago
I've seen this complaint with lots of Open Source programs and, while your opinion is valid, I also can't help but feel that you are being a bit ungrateful.
- claystu 12y ago
  I disagree. This is one of the most important pieces of feedback any opensource project can get. Technical merit means nothing if users find the cost of using the interface more trouble than the benefit of the program. I think the lack of emphasis on creating polished user interfaces is a real ideological stumbling point for the open source movement.

by vj44 12y ago

greyone 12y ago

I agree the app is good - but the user interface has always needed simplifying.

johnchristopher 12y ago
Do you mean you simplify the UI yourself with the configuration settings or that you wished it was simplified ? I found calibre less clunky and very clean once I hid icons, menus and submenus I don't use. Maybe there should be some kind of toggle mode (easy, god, expert, etc.).
dredmorbius 12y ago
More specificity on what you'd like simplified would be useful.

josealicarte 12y ago

True, the apps is Awesome, but the GUI must upgrade a bit, so far Calibre is good

walterbell 12y ago

What would you change first - the viewer, editor, cover browser, or config?

dmix 12y ago
Preference menus need the most work and the giant toolbar with icons is nearly useless.

w1ntermute 12y ago

Considering that it's free and open source, and that I use Calibre for a fraction of a percent of the time that I do actually reading the books on my Kindle that I loaded using Calibre, I would rather that the creator of Calibre focused on the technical details, such as making sure that the file conversion/transmission is working correctly.

chipotle_coyote 12y ago
While that's absolutely desirable in terms of priority, calibre's UI has been not merely ugly for its entire six-year history, it's been a jet-powered unicycle ride to Crazytown for its entire six-year history. We're talking about things like just following generally accepted conventions for how to structure GUI menus. I don't think this is a matter of calibre de-prioritizing fixing the UI. I'm pretty sure it's a conscious choice. They know their UI backward and forward and it works for them, therefore anyone who complains about the UI Just Doesn't Get It. That unicycle is BEAUTIFUL, dammit.
- johnm1019 12y ago
  upvote for describing a UI experience as "a jet-powered unicycle ride to Crazytown"
- keithpeter 12y ago
  "...a jet-powered unicycle ride to Crazytown..." I'd like to see a few more jet-powered unicycles rides. They sound fun. Functionality, especially in niche software, is sometimes more important than some kind of idealised smooth workflow. The nearest physical analogue I can conjure up is to contrast a 'sound system' as used in dances in church halls and community centres round here (wardrobe sized speaker cabinets with 18" paper cone speakers, horn tweeters, all patched into a rack based preamplifier that only the constructor and a few close associates know how to navigate) and a domestic hifi by (say) Denon. Both have their place.
  - unfamiliar 12y ago
    >Functionality, especially in niche software, is sometimes more important than some kind of idealised smooth workflow. I buy this argument for professional GIS software, database management software, etc. But come one, Calibre basically has 3 purposes: keep a library of ebooks, convert them between formats, transfer to devices. It shouldn't be so complicated. Every time I go open it I have to relearn how it works.

publicfig 12y ago

I was so excited to see this headline specifically because I hoped they would be doing a UI overhaul. Unfortunately, that just seems to not be the case or even on the horizon. I'd definitely consider dedicating time with it, but I've heard nothing but bad things about trying to work with the maintainers of the code.

Touche 12y ago
Calibre makes it dead simple to manage a library of ebooks and allows you to do just about anything that can be done with them. That's the definition of a good UI. Whether it follows modern design trends is irrelevant. A UI overhaul would be a terrible idea.
- jychang 12y ago
  I disagree. The UI is extremely messy, and far from streamlined. I couldn't figure out how to do basic management tasks at first.
  - zo1 12y ago
    Those are very undefined and user-specific complaints you have. And I've seen nothing in your post that justifies a full UI rewrite. Perhaps some changes, to cater for new/novice/confused users, but a UI rewrite is just a ridiculous thing to request.
  - dredmorbius 12y ago
    I agree with you that the calibre UI could use help. *Being specific on where exactly it's deficient would be useful. "It's clunky" really isn't actionable criticism. My own comments are sparse largely as I've found other elements (mostly the readers) so abysmal that I make little use of Calibre.
    - michaelmrose 12y ago
      You realize you can tell it to use your system default to read a given format right its under behavior in preferences

btian 12y ago

Why don't you help out? It's fully open source.

dunno 12y ago
Look at the commits. It's not fully open source at all. The source is available if you want to fork it, but try submitting a patch...
- fedesilva 12y ago
  Open source does not mean "Accept All Patches At All Costs", it does not even mean accept any patch at all.
  - akerl_ 12y ago
    Given that the thread you're responding to leads in with the suggestion to contribute code to improve the application, your point is both factual and totally tangental to the conversation. If the project is hostile to merging patches (which Calibre's developer had demonstrated), that is relevant when discussing the possibility of a user providing contributions for improving the UI.

thejdude 12y ago

The UI truly is horrible. I use calibre for converting web pages I want to read offline into epub, but then I use the file manager to transfer the epub onto my device - it seems to be the easiest way. Also, on every single conversion I have to tell it again that I don't want a huge margin. Why would I want to make my e-reader's screen ever smaller? Maybe it's best to build a whole new app out of the low-level libraries and tools that make calibre. A simple app with a simple UI.

RexRollman 12y ago

I've seen this complaint with lots of Open Source programs and, while your opinion is valid, I also can't help but feel that you are being a bit ungrateful.

claystu 12y ago
I disagree. This is one of the most important pieces of feedback any opensource project can get. Technical merit means nothing if users find the cost of using the interface more trouble than the benefit of the program. I think the lack of emphasis on creating polished user interfaces is a real ideological stumbling point for the open source movement.