Amazon's website redesign is tablet friendly - Page 2

tubemonkey · 09-07-2011, 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Thornton

How do the mouseover bits work with a tablet? Typically, sites which require mouseovers are the opposite of tablet-friendly (until we have "finger over" technology I guess).

Maybe finger taps yield drop down menus or small icons???

cfo · 09-07-2011, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben Thornton

How do the mouseover bits work with a tablet? Typically, sites which require mouseovers are the opposite of tablet-friendly (until we have "finger over" technology I guess).

I don't think it is possible with the iPad, but the BlackBerry Playbook can handle mouseover events, albeit needing the use of 2 fingers.

I also remember reading an article saying that hover or mouseover works in Flash content on a touchscreen device. So, it sounds more like sites with hover content are the opposite of iPad-friendly.

anamardoll · 09-07-2011, 03:23 PM

I tested the site a few days ago when it rolled out (and is now gone). I hate the look of it (very bland, hard to visually find the categories now that they don't stand out in orange and blue), but using it was dreadful.

I was searching for about 100 books, one after the other. I quickly realized that if you're highlighting the contents of the search box and going from right to left, the cursor ends over the drop-down menu next to the search box, and the activation of the drop-down menu would boot you out of the search dialog.

Other times, while I was typing in the search dialog, the page would boot me out while typing, I assume because some snippet of the page had loaded a little later than everything else.

I eventually had to just click-ctrl-A-ctrl-v-enter very, very fast to get any real searching done. I was in Firefox, so that might have been part of the problem (I'm presuming that Amazon optimizes for IE first), but it was a real disappointment because the site has always been easy to use before.

And as much as I like white-and-black modernity, I do think the new site looks dreadful. So there's that.

blue_skies · 09-07-2011, 03:34 PM

I hate when sites try to fix what isn't broken. Amazon.com is iconic and the most popular online store by far, I believe. They should be very reluctant to mess with that IMO.

Dylrob · 09-07-2011, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joenunya

wonder if the video is going to also move away from Flash and over to HTML5? It is not as if they don't want iPad user money and there are plenty of those out there ripe for the poaching.

Unlikely, as HTML5 doesn't offer much in the way of copy protection.

Hellmark · 09-07-2011, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylrob

Unlikely, as HTML5 doesn't offer much in the way of copy protection.

Flash really doesn't offer any either. Quite simple to pull stuff out of flash.

Out of curiosity, did the poster mean the demo videos on the product pages, or the Amazon Video service?

Dylrob · 09-07-2011, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hellmark

Flash really doesn't offer any either. Quite simple to pull stuff out of flash.

Out of curiosity, did the poster mean the demo videos on the product pages, or the Amazon Video service?

With the right software, yes. But the added complexity is thought to be a deterrent. Especially when Flash's streaming capabilities are used (streaming isn't currently part of the HTML5 standard).

Well demo videos already play in the iPad browser.

Hellmark · 09-07-2011, 05:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylrob

With the right software, yes. But the added complexity is thought to be a deterrent. Especially when Flash's streaming capabilities are used (streaming isn't currently part of the HTML5 standard).

Well demo videos already play in the iPad browser.

Software schmoftware. You can do it without, if you really want to. Hell, in the Linux version, it dumps the video into a file in the /tmp directory. Simple as copy pasta.

teadonkey · 09-07-2011, 06:00 PM

I agree with everyone who said the new site is too bland. It looks no different than the Walmart website.

greencat · 09-07-2011, 06:09 PM

I'm amazed they are considering making such a radical change. I'd have thought Amazon would be like Google ie very data driven in their design and mostly given to minor tweaks over time to improve conversion.

kjk · 09-07-2011, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greencat

I'm amazed they are considering making such a radical change. I'd have thought Amazon would be like Google ie very data driven in their design and mostly given to minor tweaks over time to improve conversion.

I have a feeling they designed it specifically for a certain new mobile device coming in the near future

cfo · 09-09-2011, 12:55 AM

Looks like Amazon has been reading comments on a lot of forums discussing the change. They added some orange and blue back to their new site, although it's mostly text color changes, but still no blocks of blue and orange like the old site. There's a lot of mouseovers - Your Amazon, Wish List, *shopping cart symbol*, etc.

SCION · 09-09-2011, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cfo

Looks like Amazon has been reading comments on a lot of forums discussing the change. They added some orange and blue back to their new site, although it's mostly text color changes, but still no blocks of blue and orange like the old site. There's a lot of mouseovers - Your Amazon, Wish List, *shopping cart symbol*, etc.

I like it now. The layout is the same. That was a concern for me. I can still jump in and get where I need to be. It feels like something is missing at the top of the page though.

cfo · 09-09-2011, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCION

It feels like something is missing at the top of the page though.

My guess is the old blue search bar and the orange and orange buttons:

Because other than the lack of color, the top of the site looks pretty much the same.

greencat · 09-09-2011, 02:12 PM

OK I'm getting the new design now. It doesn't look so bad in the flesh but there is definitely some very weird white space on the left hand side with my large monitor.

The header is very nice and uncluttered though. Overall I like it.

09-09-2011, 12:55 AM	#27
cfo Connoisseur Posts: 92 Karma: 667753 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: US Device: KSO, iPhone4	Looks like Amazon has been reading comments on a lot of forums discussing the change. They added some orange and blue back to their new site, although it's mostly text color changes, but still no blocks of blue and orange like the old site. There's a lot of mouseovers - Your Amazon, Wish List, shopping cart symbol, etc. Last edited by cfo; 09-09-2011 at 12:58 AM.

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09-07-2011, 03:23 PM	#18
anamardoll Chasing Butterflies Posts: 3,132 Karma: 5074169 Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: American Southwest Device: Uses batteries.	I tested the site a few days ago when it rolled out (and is now gone). I hate the look of it (very bland, hard to visually find the categories now that they don't stand out in orange and blue), but using it was dreadful. I was searching for about 100 books, one after the other. I quickly realized that if you're highlighting the contents of the search box and going from right to left, the cursor ends over the drop-down menu next to the search box, and the activation of the drop-down menu would boot you out of the search dialog. Other times, while I was typing in the search dialog, the page would boot me out while typing, I assume because some snippet of the page had loaded a little later than everything else. I eventually had to just click-ctrl-A-ctrl-v-enter very, very fast to get any real searching done. I was in Firefox, so that might have been part of the problem (I'm presuming that Amazon optimizes for IE first), but it was a real disappointment because the site has always been easy to use before. And as much as I like white-and-black modernity, I do think the new site looks dreadful. So there's that.

09-07-2011, 03:34 PM	#19
blue_skies Evangelist Posts: 402 Karma: 1143880 Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Ohio Device: Boyue T62+; Boyue Mimas; and my old Kindle Keyboard	I hate when sites try to fix what isn't broken. Amazon.com is iconic and the most popular online store by far, I believe. They should be very reluctant to mess with that IMO.

09-07-2011, 06:00 PM	#24
teadonkey Zealot Posts: 132 Karma: 2179008 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Kindle 3 WiFi	I agree with everyone who said the new site is too bland. It looks no different than the Walmart website.

09-07-2011, 06:09 PM	#25
greencat Freebie finder Posts: 907 Karma: 2046472 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Sony, Kindle	I'm amazed they are considering making such a radical change. I'd have thought Amazon would be like Google ie very data driven in their design and mostly given to minor tweaks over time to improve conversion.

09-09-2011, 02:12 PM	#30
greencat Freebie finder Posts: 907 Karma: 2046472 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Sony, Kindle	OK I'm getting the new design now. It doesn't look so bad in the flesh but there is definitely some very weird white space on the left hand side with my large monitor. The header is very nice and uncluttered though. Overall I like it.

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