Welcome to Neowin 5

[Timan Veteran]

I've got another bug, and i'm hoping this one's an easy fix

When I move the mouse over the main menus, the Main menu drops down, but wont clear. It just stays there. Control panel & IRC menus works fine.

Possible cookies problem? (This bug occurs in IE7, but not Chrome)

Edit : Just cleared cookies, still happens. Also, if I mouse-over Main, then move to the left or right on the menu, it wont ever clear, but if I mouse over main, then down the menu, then off, it clears. That's gotta be a bug!! :p

Yes, this seems to be a problem if you mouse over the navigation before the page fully loads. Looking into a fix now.

[crazzyyfool]

Patience :) the forum style will be updated shortly. We just gotta work out the best way to go about things and any bugs/feature requests etc.

So I take it the forum update won't take two years like the previous style change?

[jelli]

I find that this is much nicer to read width set to 95%, everything is a bit less cramped. Also changed the script so it affects the forums as well.

[Raa]

Yes, this seems to be a problem if you mouse over the navigation before the page fully loads. Looking into a fix now.

Thanks for the heads up Timan!

Is the "Latest community activity" supposed to be static, or auto refreshing? (like in v4)

[Kami-]

I agree with njlouch.

Reading left to right, is how the Westernised people do things, and moving something from the left hand side, to the right detracts it's importance.

I think that we should be able to have a few layouts and once were logged in we can select our favourite and that be that.

[tomwarren Veteran]

Is anyone going to reply to the numerous requests as to whether we can switch back to the old version?

I personally appeciate the work but dislike the new version. Neowin forums now seem to take about 10% of the screen estate - and they are the main reason I use this site. I liked the way the "New posts" were shown quite prominently on the old design, now they are tucked away in the upper right.

We have replied to this on this thread and the main page. No you cannot switch back to the old version.

As for real estate on the screen, lots of people are moaning about this but if we change it to be wider it'll break the whole ideas behind neowin5.

Like others have said look at other sites like vnunet, ars, cnn, ebay etc etc and there is fixed width for reasons. Just because we didn't have fixed width before doesn't mean we will have fixed width now. It just takes a little getting used to that's all.

[Ficman]

Awesome... Looks GREAT!!!

[Skulltrail-old]

The main page looks nice but the Forum looks the same to me.

+1

The skin is nice but if it isn't implemented throughout the entire site, it is basically useless. (unless of course you spend most of your time in the main page rather than the forums...:hmmm:)

[=NickJ=]

I understand completely, and I welcome different opinions wholeheartedly.

There have been many changes to the way news is posted now.

Another reason behind some of the design decisions was that we want to emphasize original content. Neowin has a bit of a bad reputation as being a simple copy & paste website, and we would like to get away from that. All of the news items in the left column are original content, and we now differentiate those from copy & pasted articles (shown in the right column) when posting news. This change affects the layout inherently.

Such a simple change can affect the layout, and if we make any more changes in the future, we would have to work on and update both layouts to include said changes. It's simply more work than it is worth in my opinion.

But, once again, such decisions are not up to me, and I'm not even sure if my opinion is shared by the rest of the staff.

That's great, I'd love to see more original content, but why limit yourself? I think the design of CNN & MSNBC websites are terrible, there's no need to follow just because they're big players. Neowin had it better and this is a step back.

[gigapixels Veteran]

We're not following them for the sake of following them; I'm simply giving examples of why such design choices are valid. You may not believe they are, but that's where difference of opinion comes into play.

[d3bruts1d]

Really nice design guys. I think I like this version better than anything ya'll have done in the past. Sexay.

Now, if ya could just update the forums. :D

[=NickJ=]

We have replied to this on this thread and the main page. No you cannot switch back to the old version.

As for real estate on the screen, lots of people are moaning about this but if we change it to be wider it'll break the whole ideas behind neowin5.

Like others have said look at other sites like vnunet, ars, cnn, ebay etc etc and there is fixed width for reasons. Just because we didn't have fixed width before doesn't mean we will have fixed width now. It just takes a little getting used to that's all.

What is this magical idea that means the site desires to be inneficient? The only reason they have fixed width is to ensure the site looks the same across all displays, but with a format likes Neowin's where you could do it better, why not?

There's no need to be a lemming Tom ;)

[Panacik]

I hope the forums dont go for a cramped style as the front page has... I can see it being the final icing on the cake to the downfall of Neowin... which is sad, i may add :(

[Lee G. Veteran]

I guess not having fixed width is not an option anymore :(

It looks pretty good at 95% width (and blocking the news images, because changing the width screwed them up). By the way, I don't know why the ads that showed on this screenshot are not loaded - I'm not blocking them or anything, in case any of you are thinking that.

[gigapixels Veteran]

I hope the forums dont go for a cramped style as the front page has... I can see it being the final icing on the cake to the downfall of Neowin... which is sad, i may add :(

I believe the forum would work fine for a percent width rather than a fixed width, seeing as there won't be any design elements that depend on a fixed width to look good.

Once again, I'm speaking for myself and not the rest of the staff. I don't know what exactly is planned for the forum adaptation of the skin.

[=NickJ=]

We're not following them for the sake of following them; I'm simply giving examples of why such design choices are valid. You may not believe they are, but that's where difference of opinion comes into play.

And its a difference of opinion that a lot of your users would seem to share. As a Neowin reader multiple times a day I soon stop looking at the design and want to read the content as quickly and efficiently as possible, and I think you will find thats a common opinion.

But as I said, I do love the new graphical elements, it feels very professional and clean and brought in line with 2008 :)

/2 cents

[alsheron]

Ok, for those of you who use Firefox and who have gripes with the the width and other readability issues, i've created the following Stylish userstyle to make it easier on the eye:

Neowin Finity "Mod"

It's based on a previously linked to userstyle and I highly recommend it. Most of us here should find using this easy enough, but if not, let me know and i'll explain further. Hopefully in the fullness on time these changes will be incorporated into the official Neowin Finity design..... Until then you can use this.... Oh, btw, feel free to modify it (easier than you think/I thought) and improve it

Edited October 15, 2008 by alsheron

[Panacik]

And its a difference of opinion that a lot of your users would seem to share.

Agreed.

[Lee G. Veteran]

EDIT: Sorry, ignore this post :blushing:

[thebrad]

great work, nice theme, but um the ad in the middle of the page now, i realise you need to have it so people click it, but on the side or bottom would be nicer. well that my opinion.

[joker999]

Its nice! but ads in the middle of website is bit silly. its right middle of my screen!

I just play around with site would be nice like this.

[+Ryster Subscriber²]

Its nice! but ads in the middle of website is bit silly. its right middle of my screen!

I just play around with site would be nice like this.

I love the design of the site, but the ad slap bang in the middle of the screen is unacceptable.

Ads at the top, bottom and the side are fine, but not right in the middle of the page where they distort the content.

[tomwarren Veteran]

I love the design of the site, but the ad slap bang in the middle of the screen is unacceptable.

Ads at the top, bottom and the side are fine, but not right in the middle of the page where they distort the content.

OK, shall we remove "recent forum posts" on the right and place the ad there then? Where else do you think the square ad should go? It doesn't distort the content it wraps around it

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

I guess not having fixed width is not an option anymore :(

It looks pretty good at 95% width (and blocking the news images, because changing the width screwed them up). By the way, I don't know why the ads that showed on this screenshot are not loaded - I'm not blocking them or anything, in case any of you are thinking that.

Yeah this needs to be done.

Wasting that screen real estate is very inefficient IMO.

Running at 1920x1200 = Lots of screen estate wasted

This is not great guys :/

Doesn't need to fill the screen, but I think it should be wider.

Effort appreciated though.

Edited October 15, 2008 by Audioboxer

[Panacik]

Its nice! but ads in the middle of website is bit silly. its right middle of my screen!

I just play around with site would be nice like this.

Exactly.

When i bought it up on IRC yesterday as they where rolling out the re-design, they said it wouldnt be there in the end, but it seems it still is.

Its pretty poor to be honest. Makes the site look a little bit tacky.

Without the AD being there, the new design would be pretty decent.