Rethinking the user interface - Page 5

djgreedo · 01-11-2012, 09:09 AM

I'd like a graphical display of books just I like I have in my music software (Zune), comic book software (Comic Rack), and others. I've got nice 1080p colour monitors yet I manage my ebook collection in text list.

I'd love to be able to 'stack' books by author or series or genre rather than just sift through a large list.

But at the end of the day Calibre is not really the same as a music application (i.e. I doubt many people use Calibre to actually read their books, more for organising and syncing), so it does what it needs to do, and it does it very well.

itimpi · 01-11-2012, 10:27 AM

You have a CoverFlow mode that you can already (optionally) enable via the middle button on the bottom right.

If you are looking for a grid view then that's not available - it has been on the 'nice to have' list for a long time.

TechnoCat · 01-11-2012, 11:57 AM

Good grief! This went from one guy thinking about workflow simplification to a religious battle.

Kovid, thank you for Calibre! I don't have any significant issues, and have not found using it difficult. I've had only two challenges really.

Writing a complex recipe was, well, complex. I may write an alternate tutorial for it. It's not the programming, it's that the documentation isn't aimed at having one's first recipe require significant coding and clean-up.
News does have a "Download Now" button... but I can never find it... because it is the only element off-screen on my MacBook Air.

I can address the first issue for future generations by providing my recipe (OReilly, in this forum) and documenting it up.

The second one, the U.I., could be fixed by either addressing the form or by allowing individual buttons be placed on the toolbar. Which may be possible, but I haven't figured out how.

But guess what... None of this matters. Calibre is far more functional than any "competing" tool I've seen. I can use it for conversion (the raison d'être), library management, news-scraping/offline reading (a la Plucker of years gone by) and even finding new material to read. I don't need more (or even most of what is.)

In the process of writing this, the value of Calibre to me really hit, so I have just donated to Calibre. Not much, a ebook's worth, but will endeavor to do so regularly.

Manichean · 01-12-2012, 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TechnoCat

Good grief! This went from one guy thinking about workflow simplification to a religious battle.

That's about par for the course as far as GUI discussions go.

hidari · 01-12-2012, 04:56 AM

CALIBRE is an excellent FREE piece of software..... I have donated twice and will most probably again.... The book format conversion and E-book viewer are worth it on their own.... and that is mostly what I use it for...have been using it for years and it just gets better and better.... if you don't like it ....don't use it... Kovid has shown more than enough patience with the complaints...some petty ..... a few with merit......

magphil · 01-12-2012, 05:03 AM

I have been using calibre for almost 3 years, and I find the user interface brilliant.

Basic functions for basic users are easy to use and power users functions can be totally ignored. But whenever I whish calibre had a power feature I need, I find it's already implemented.

Maybe what's missing is a set a preset rules to help basic users get around their readers shortcomings like prepending series/serie_index to the name on export without having to use the plugboard.

That could be implemented in a per reader setup form where one would chose book format, export rule (tree) and title plugboard rule in a friendly drop down list.

tomkat · 01-12-2012, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fesja

Hi everyone,

I'm new here. I've been using Calibre for more than a year to convert ebooks to my iPad. Now that my parents have a Kindle, I am teaching them how to use Calibre to add ebooks from other stores. However, thinking as them, the user interface is really really complicated. And it shouldn't be.

I have seen other attempts to improve the UX & UI of Calibre that have gone nowhere. So I'm not going to make a wireframe of what I think it should do. Or at least not yet.

First, I want to know what you use from Calibre, how you use it. It has many options, many buttons, many filters. But, what do you use? What's your primary use? How do you send your books to your ebook device? Do you edit the info of the book? How many books do you have on your library? Do you have one or several libraries?

With all your answers, we may work on a new interface than can go somewhere. Right now I see 40 buttons/filters/elements in the default view Calibre. I'm sure 90% of the people only use 3 (add book, convert book, send book to device).

So how do you use it? what do you use?

I don't use anything yet as I am really dumb. All I would like for someone to tell me: is how to take books from one Kindle and add them to Calibre and then use them on another kindle. We have four kindle in the family and can;t share anything. Seen kind of stupid to me. Help someone.

HarryT · 01-12-2012, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomkat

I don't use anything yet as I am really dumb. All I would like for someone to tell me: is how to take books from one Kindle and add them to Calibre and then use them on another kindle. We have four kindle in the family and can;t share anything. Seen kind of stupid to me. Help someone.

The simplest thing to do is to register all your Kindles to the same Amazon account. That way you'll be able to freely share books between them.

nickredding · 01-12-2012, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomkat

I don't use anything yet as I am really dumb. All I would like for someone to tell me: is how to take books from one Kindle and add them to Calibre and then use them on another kindle. We have four kindle in the family and can;t share anything. Seen kind of stupid to me. Help someone.

Don't bother copying books from one Kindle to another if they came from Amazon. They are locked to the device Amazon sent them to by DRM (encryption) and they can't be opened on a different Kindle.

HarryT · 01-12-2012, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nickredding

Don't bother copying books from one Kindle to another if they came from Amazon. They are locked to the device Amazon sent them to by DRM (encryption) and they can't be opened on a different Kindle.

They can if you install "the plug-ins that must not be mentioned" in Calibre. Google "Apprentice Alf" for details. But simply registering your Kindles to the same account is a hell of a lot easier.

nickredding · 01-12-2012, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

They can if you install "the plug-ins that must not be mentioned" in Calibre. Google "Apprentice Alf" for details. But simply registering your Kindles to the same account is a hell of a lot easier.

I realize that of course, but based on tomkat's own assertion that he is "really dumb" and judging by the fact he doesn't know how to drag files out of his Kindle via the USB interface I didn't think it would be useful to try and explain that DRM can be removed using freely available tools.

BeccaPrice · 01-12-2012, 03:41 PM

The only objection I have is that, to select small icons for the tool bar, you select "narrow" or "wide" which isn't as intuitive as "small" and "large" selections might be.

avantman42 · 01-12-2012, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

The only objection I have is that, to select small icons for the tool bar, you select "narrow" or "wide" which isn't as intuitive as "small" and "large" selections might be.

In Preferences->Look and Feel, there is a Toolbar section, which has an Icon size drop-down with Off, Small, Medium, Large options. Is that what you want? Or have I completely mis-understood?

theducks · 01-12-2012, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BeccaPrice

The only objection I have is that, to select small icons for the tool bar, you select "narrow" or "wide" which isn't as intuitive as "small" and "large" selections might be.

Narrow and wide applies to the screen sections layout.
Icon sizes are OFF,Small, Medium and Large

BeccaPrice · 01-12-2012, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avantman42

In Preferences->Look and Feel, there is a Toolbar section, which has an Icon size drop-down with Off, Small, Medium, Large options. Is that what you want? Or have I completely mis-understood?

no, I got confused by what narrow/wide meant... my fault entirely. What I really need to do is take notes on what I do to customize my interface, so I remember these things.

sorry!

01-11-2012, 11:57 AM	#63
TechnoCat Zealot Posts: 131 Karma: 150390 Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Pacific NorthWest Device: Kindle Fire	Good grief! This went from one guy thinking about workflow simplification to a religious battle. Kovid, thank you for Calibre! I don't have any significant issues, and have not found using it difficult. I've had only two challenges really. Writing a complex recipe was, well, complex. I may write an alternate tutorial for it. It's not the programming, it's that the documentation isn't aimed at having one's first recipe require significant coding and clean-up. News does have a "Download Now" button... but I can never find it... because it is the only element off-screen on my MacBook Air. I can address the first issue for future generations by providing my recipe (OReilly, in this forum) and documenting it up. The second one, the U.I., could be fixed by either addressing the form or by allowing individual buttons be placed on the toolbar. Which may be possible, but I haven't figured out how. But guess what... *None of this matters.* Calibre is far more functional than any "competing" tool I've seen. I can use it for conversion (the raison d'être), library management, news-scraping/offline reading (a la Plucker of years gone by) and even finding new material to read. I don't need more (or even most of what is.) In the process of writing this, the value of Calibre to me really hit, so I have just donated to Calibre. Not much, a ebook's worth, but will endeavor to do so regularly.

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01-11-2012, 09:09 AM	#61
djgreedo Addict Posts: 285 Karma: 640696 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Perth, Australia Device: Kindle Touch 3G, HP Touchpad (Android), Samsung Omnia 7	I'd like a graphical display of books just I like I have in my music software (Zune), comic book software (Comic Rack), and others. I've got nice 1080p colour monitors yet I manage my ebook collection in text list. I'd love to be able to 'stack' books by author or series or genre rather than just sift through a large list. But at the end of the day Calibre is not really the same as a music application (i.e. I doubt many people use Calibre to actually read their books, more for organising and syncing), so it does what it needs to do, and it does it very well.

01-11-2012, 10:27 AM	#62
itimpi Wizard Posts: 4,553 Karma: 950151 Join Date: Nov 2008 Device: Sony PRS-950, iphone/ipad (Marvin/iBooks/QuickReader)	You have a CoverFlow mode that you can already (optionally) enable via the middle button on the bottom right. If you are looking for a grid view then that's not available - it has been on the 'nice to have' list for a long time.

01-12-2012, 04:56 AM	#65
hidari MR Drone Posts: 1,613 Karma: 15612282 Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: DRONEZONE Device: PB360+, Huawei MP5, Libra H20	CALIBRE is an excellent FREE piece of software..... I have donated twice and will most probably again.... The book format conversion and E-book viewer are worth it on their own.... and that is mostly what I use it for...have been using it for years and it just gets better and better.... if you don't like it ....don't use it... Kovid has shown more than enough patience with the complaints...some petty ..... a few with merit......

01-12-2012, 05:03 AM	#66
magphil Connoisseur Posts: 60 Karma: 5090 Join Date: Jun 2009 Device: Gen3, Kobo glow	I have been using calibre for almost 3 years, and I find the user interface brilliant. Basic functions for basic users are easy to use and power users functions can be totally ignored. But whenever I whish calibre had a power feature I need, I find it's already implemented. Maybe what's missing is a set a preset rules to help basic users get around their readers shortcomings like prepending series/serie_index to the name on export without having to use the plugboard. That could be implemented in a per reader setup form where one would chose book format, export rule (tree) and title plugboard rule in a friendly drop down list.

01-12-2012, 03:41 PM	#72
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,146 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	The only objection I have is that, to select small icons for the tool bar, you select "narrow" or "wide" which isn't as intuitive as "small" and "large" selections might be.