Slashdot Mirror
Slashdot Asks: How Do You Like the New Gmail UI? (vortex.com)
Earlier today, Google pushed out the biggest revamp of Gmail in years. In addition to a new material design look, there are quick links to other Google services, such as Calendar, Tasks, and Keep, as well as a new "confidential mode" designed to protect users against certain attacks by having the email(s) automatically expire at a time of the sender's choosing. Long-time Slashdot reader Lauren Weinstein shares their initial impressions of Google's new Gmail UI: Google launched general access to their first significant Gmail user interface (UI) redesign in many years today. It's rolling out gradually -- when it hits your account you'll see a "Try the new Gmail" choice under the settings ("gear") icon on the upper right of the page (you can also revert to the "classic" interface for now, via the same menu). But you probably won't need to revert. Google clearly didn't want to screw up Gmail, and my initial impression is that they've succeeded by avoiding radical changes in the UI. I'll bet that some casual Gmail users might not even immediately notice the differences.
The new Gmail UI is what we could call a "minimally disruptive" redesign of the now "classic" version. The overall design is not altered in major respects. So far I haven't found any notable missing features, options, or settings. My impression is that the back end systems serving Gmail are largely unchanged. Additionally, there are a number of new features (some of which are familiar in design from Google's "Inbox" email interface) that are now surfaced for the new Gmail. Crucially, overall readability and usability (including contrast, font choices, UI selection elements, etc.) seem so close to classic Gmail (at least in my limited testing so far) as to make any differences essentially inconsequential. And it's still possible to select a dark theme from settings if you wish, which results in even higher contrast. Have you tried the new Gmail? If so, how do you like the new interface?
The new Gmail UI is what we could call a "minimally disruptive" redesign of the now "classic" version. The overall design is not altered in major respects. So far I haven't found any notable missing features, options, or settings. My impression is that the back end systems serving Gmail are largely unchanged. Additionally, there are a number of new features (some of which are familiar in design from Google's "Inbox" email interface) that are now surfaced for the new Gmail. Crucially, overall readability and usability (including contrast, font choices, UI selection elements, etc.) seem so close to classic Gmail (at least in my limited testing so far) as to make any differences essentially inconsequential. And it's still possible to select a dark theme from settings if you wish, which results in even higher contrast. Have you tried the new Gmail? If so, how do you like the new interface?
'Basic HTML' mode still works for me.. So I'm happy with the UI.. :)
Almost instantly reverted. The new UI wastes so much screen space -- and I'm running in compact mode (in both Classicy and New modes)
* Tabs (Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates, Forums) no longer have a vertical line separating them. You HAVE to mouse over them to see where each button ends.
* The left column of Inbox, Important, Sent Mail, etc. is wider.
* The 2nd column which showed the Senders and the number of emails in a thread no longer shows (#) but just the # number by itself.
* The middle columns are now less wide
* A new right column which shows vertical icons of Calendar, Keep, Tasks now wastes space
* The number of lines in the Inbox is now less due to the spacing between threads being increased.
Lauren Weinstein is a corporate shill who thinks ad blockers are unethical :
So i can careless, i POP all my email to Thunderbird until i cant. then will create my own email server but as long as i can POP it im happy.
Jack of all trades,master of none
I use an IMAP client to read my Gmail
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
My IMAP interface with gmail remains unchanged. I have never been infected with the desire to use any webmail, especially Google's. As long as they allow IMAP or POP connections, I will continue to use gmail, but not for anything important.
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
We have monochrome designs where we previously had full colour designs (Android, etc) with all the associated loss of valuable information.
We have flat designs where we can't see what's clickable.
We have thinner fonts and lines which are harder to read unless you have perfect vision.
Why isn't there massive pushback from all these changes which reduce usability instead of enhancing it ?
Since the bloody article can't even show the visual differences here are screenshots comparing the old and new:
* The left column/sidebar of Inbox, Important, Sent Mail, etc. is wider. Number of unread are now in their own sub-column instead of immediately after the Folder name.
Old left Sidebar
New left Sidebar
* Tabs (Primary, Social, Promotions, Updates, Forums) no longer have a vertical line separating them. You HAVE to mouse over them to see where each button ends.
Old Tabs
New Tabs
* The 2nd column which showed the Senders and the number of emails in a thread no longer shows (#) but just the # number by itself making this harder to read.
Old senders
New senders
The Topic column is less wide, meaning you can't see entire short emails now.
Old subject
New subject
Do. Not. Want.
--
"Get off my LAN." -- Grumpy old programmer
This sort of security measure isn't any more absolute than a lock on your front door. I think it mostly just protects against clueless users who accidentally forwards sensitive documents to the entire company instead of the intended recipients. And a real benefit is to provide evidence that anyone who breaches confidentiality has obviously done so deliberately. You can't really "accidentally" take a screenshot and then forward it to others.
Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.