Alfa ebook manager

[John F]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Which is why many apps (calibre included) allow you to change the size of the icons and remove the wording.

Which traditionally would be somewhere under the View menu. I really don't want to have to RTFM for simple stuff.

[Sirtel]

I actually use icons with no wording on my calibre toolbar - it allows me to stuff more of them there. I'm a heavy calibre user and use most of its features either daily or occasionally, so I need quick access to lots of them. Even so there is not enough space for everything I regularly use, so I've also put some features in the Favorites plugin and the context menu.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by John F

Which traditionally would be somewhere under the View menu. I really don't want to have to RTFM for simple stuff.

It doesn't take any RTFMing to glance at preferences. They're pretty self-explanatory (and are traditionally under the Edit menu in my experience).

In my opinion, there's very little difference between the phrases; "I find it unintuitive," and "can't be arsed to look around at all."

[nabsltd]

Originally Posted by codrut_popescu

Î never used Calibre for anything else than DRM stuff because the interface is so unintuitive for me that it's unusable.

I started using Calibre before I had an ebook reader, or any ebooks. I used it to catalog my physical book collection. It was perfect because it's a book manager (thus it understood things like title, author, etc.) instead of a raw database, and I could customize it by adding my own columns.

I still have the physical book information in my current Calibre database, along with all the ebooks.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

In my opinion, there's very little difference between the phrases; "I find it unintuitive," and "can't be arsed to look around at all."

For me, it is more the user is complaining that it does not work exactly like <insert name of program>.

[John F]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

It doesn't take any RTFMing to glance at preferences. They're pretty self-explanatory (and are traditionally under the Edit menu in my experience).

In my opinion, there's very little difference between the phrases; "I find it unintuitive," and "can't be arsed to look around at all."

Or telling someone to RTFM is a sign that the UI was an afterthought.

[John F]

And FWIW, I think calibre is a great program. Thank you Kovid.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by DNSB

For me, it is more the user is complaining that it does not work exactly like <insert name of program>.

That's true enough. There's also a lot of "why doesn't it work the way I want it to right out of the box?" going around. As if there's one default presentation that would satisfy every single user out there. No customization required.

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by John F

Or telling someone to RTFM is a sign that the UI was an afterthought.

That does not compute. When did the need to glance through a guide/manual become synonymous with some sort failure on the part of the creator of a device/app? Things that come without a manual (or a link to one) piss me off.

A world where everyone could guess correctly (and blindly) about how everything worked might be an interesting one, but it's not the world we live in. Regardless of how many end-users and self-proclaimed UI experts would have us believe it is.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Which is why many apps (calibre included) allow you to change the size of the icons and remove the wording.

And even rearrange the Icons or use a Text Only Menu (in some places).
The advantage: No mouse or touch screen needed.

Oh Wait! The last POS I installed, had to have a Picture of the Till, showing how many of each to give as change

[theducks]

Originally Posted by John F

Which traditionally would be somewhere under the View menu. I really don't want to have to RTFM for simple stuff.

And if you hover over a menu item the is CONTEXT HELP on the status bar

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by John F

I find the traditional interface more intuitive: a menu across the top with File, Edit, View, ... and toolbars. Hide the menu across the top with the alt key is also preferable.

Big icons with wording is nice to start, but once you know the app, they just take up space.

Most of the traditional menu structure doesn't apply to this kind of application.

I have got a text menu line on Calibre

Chrome (and derivatives) and Firefox by default have no traditional menu as if your desktop is a phone, but it can be turned on. Unfortunately all the other stupid changes in the GUI can't be fixed on either.

Most people don't correctly use MS Word (before 2007 ribbon or with ribbon) unless they have a proper course, and not the kind given most places that concentrates on all the features rather than How-To Work flow or document types etc. By default it should NOT have the direct formatting controls, but should have a Style browser sub winodow and the Outline/Heirarchy/object browser window. How many users of Word or MS Office know how to open those and have them floating or docked? People use it like a glass typewriter, judging by 100% of the files I receive.

Also people not setting data type on each spreadsheet column. If you can't use a spreadsheet properly the column types and sorts on Calibre will be mystery.

Almost nothing is completely intuitive and most SW and OSes seem to now delight in pointless changes that ignore 30 to 50 years of GUI / UX experience.

[theducks]

Also
Kovid does consider nicely worded suggestions to reword a menu item for better clarity
(He also understands the issues with International word usage which many of us do not.)

[slm]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

That does not compute. When did the need to glance through a guide/manual become synonymous with some sort failure on the part of the creator of a device/app?

The exact date is when Apple issued its first guidelines for MAC programming. (Which said that every function of a program should be discoverable and should be fairly obvious and no one should ever NEED the manual).

Of course, modern Apple UI design totally ignores those rules.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by slm

The exact date is when Apple issued its first guidelines for MAC programming. (Which said that every function of a program should be discoverable and should be fairly obvious and no one should ever NEED the manual).

Of course, modern Apple UI design totally ignores those rules.

MacOS is not user friendly.