(Archived) Please revert new UI back to old version

[Billm 8]

I really do not like the new layout of Evernote.  Everything was easier to read and was more compact in the old version.  Please revert back.

[jbenson2 2,147]

I really do not like the new layout of Evernote.  Everything was easier to read and was more compact in the old version.  Please revert back.

Evernote will not do that.

You will have to go back to one of the older versions that you prefer.

[AndreaUK 2]

Hello,
not have posted before. Simply because I always was very happy with EN.
But today I've updated ... and suddenly I am very unhappy :-(

The new UI is too white/grey for my eyes, it actually hurts my eyes and I find it very difficult to find my notebooks because of the missing green notebooks icons. I have notebook stacks and it now looks like a mishmash.
There are a few things I do like in the new release (reminders, finally), but the UI is really awful.
 

[Billm 8]

Hello,

not have posted before. Simply because I always was very happy with EN.

But today I've updated ... and suddenly I am very unhappy :-(

The new UI is too white/grey for my eyes, it actually hurts my eyes and I find it very difficult to find my notebooks because of the missing green notebooks icons. I have notebook stacks and it now looks like a mishmash.

There are a few things I do like in the new release (reminders, finally), but the UI is really awful.

The EN.exe version I have is an old one because I have updated within the programme instead of downloading it anew every time. That was apparently silly.

Is there somewhere an archive of previous EN files so I can get the version before 5.02?

 

Here is version 4.6.6.8360 I downloaded on 6/23/2013

http://l.bitcasa.com/wpOSm1Co

 

Also 4.6.7.8409

http://l.bitcasa.com/LFMzT7JP

[Marcus 3]

I've always been happy with each successive update but this one has me flabbergasted  The new UI really is unpleasant on the eyes. I honestly thought it was some sort of error or malware because of the preponderance of white. When I started reading this forum I realized this was a new design. I'm stunned with disappointment. You almost need sunglasses to look at this! 

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

I assume everyone is talking about Windows. Is the white really so blinding? How do you all use the Internet

I'm a fan of black text on a white background myself. What we need, though, is a customizable UI. I should change my user name to customizable monkey instead, because this is pretty much what all of my posts boil down to.

[pacman 5]

I support the comments made here about the new UI. It's a big mistake I feel.

 

Just hoping enough people comment on this to cause the Evernote team to take early action over what I feel is a complete oversight.

[jefito 5,589]

Prospect of them completely reverting to the old UI? Practically nil in the near term.

Prospect of them completely rewriting a new UI? Practically certain in the long term.

Prospect of them tweaking the current UI? Practically certain.

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

I support the comments made here about the new UI. It's a big mistake I feel.

 

Just hoping enough people comment on this to cause the Evernote team to take early action over what I feel is a complete oversight.

Could you be more specific? I've commented a few times saying that I like it. In fact, I am pretty pleased with many elements of the design. I am also happy to see that we have maintained a lot of the old functionality like a rich variety of sorts.

Compared to this day last year, the app is remarkably better: we have Evernote Business integration, we have one search for all joined, shared, and owned notebooks. We have access to the Evernote Community (Business users). We have reminders (that is a request dating back several years). We have highlighting. The list could go on and on. I am wondering what exactly it is about this UI that seems so distressing to people.

I do have issues with how shared, joined, and Business notebooks are handled. However, that is a longstanding issue dating back to about this time last year. Nothing in the new interface seems an especially egregious "oversight." I'd like to hear more about what you mean here.

[oded 42]

I support the comments made here about the new UI. It's a big mistake I feel.

 

Just hoping enough people comment on this to cause the Evernote team to take early action over what I feel is a complete oversight.

me too!

[GrumpyMonkey 4,319]

I support the comments made here about the new UI. It's a big mistake I feel.

 

Just hoping enough people comment on this to cause the Evernote team to take early action over what I feel is a complete oversight.

me too!

What does this mean? Could you be more specific about what you think are "mistakes" and "oversights"?

[Marcus 3]

Grumpy Monkey, it's the pale, bone-china UI. that is the big mistake here,I love everything else. It just LOOKS so much worse than the sophisticated greenish versions of before. Evernote's UI's of before were always pleasant and sophisticated to look at. It was a relief to look at a cooler, more colored IU than what many websites typically offer, also, it had a smart, sophisticated look to it. Now, that's all gone. 

[uncletoddy 1]

 

I support the comments made here about the new UI. It's a big mistake I feel.

 

Just hoping enough people comment on this to cause the Evernote team to take early action over what I feel is a complete oversight.

Could you be more specific? 

Yes, I can be more specific.  For one, the thumbnail view is gone, which is crucial for me and my business.  The new "Card" view is ugly and impractical.  Makes it practically impossible to discern what a note is by glancing at it.  I'm reverting to an old version until they bring back something akin to thumbnail view (and no, snippet view doesn't work either, since I need to see the top of the beginning page of every attachment or note.  Showing the middle does nothing to help me identify it).

[J-Mac 19]

I don’t like it much. I use list view and the note pane is now framed which has some wasted areas around the note itself. Plus the note info area above the note is too wide (or deep?) Again it steals space from the note itself. As for the aesthetics, I think it's kinda ugly but I don’t really care what it looks like as long as they stop with the wasted space.

 

Jim

[guiltas 0]

I agree, the new UI is awful. I just don't understand this trend of reverting back to the age where computer monitors could not display colors and icons had to lack depth because of hardware limitations. I see nothing modern about it, it's plain stupid.

[gustavgi 308]

I prefer the new UI compared to the old one, but I still miss some colors and symbols..

[Tiki 2]

I agree, the new UI is awful. I just don't understand this trend of reverting back to the age where computer monitors could not display colors and icons had to lack depth because of hardware limitations. I see nothing modern about it, it's plain stupid.

 

I totally agree. I just updated this morning and was surprised when I saw how horrible it looked. I decide to revert back to an old version of Evernote. I can't stand how the new one looks.

[krm 10]

I just got off support chat and was told there is now no way to use non-white background.  This is the same issue I've been having with recent Microsoft products and am absolutely furious over.  I have switched my mail client back to Thunderbird.  I can't believe there is no way to change background from white to grey...  Please forward this requirement to feature control teams.

[jefito 5,589]

Tell it to Google too. All that white! The nerve!!!

[groovebak 20]

I was fine with the new look at first, but that wore off really quickly. I wish it was customizable. I'd go back to EN4 if there was a way to keep reminders and highlighting, which are very important to me. I guess it means I'm stuck with this look but really hoping a nicer looking next iteration.

[Mike McGowan 36]

I prefer the new UI compared to the old one, but I still miss some colors and symbols..

 

Going against the trend here, but I also prerer the new UI.   I used a Windows laptop and work and a Mac at home.   They "feel" much more like the same tool to me now.    Evernote has always been about the "seamless continuation" of work.   To me the new Windows UI increases my "seamless contiuation".    Just my .02.

[krm 10]

Tell it to Google too. All that white! The nerve!!!

 

Not sure what you implying, but use case for Google searching has nothing to do with how Evernote is used.  Plus, you can change your default background in a browser if you wish.

[J-Mac 19]

Another nit to pick:  It's not good to move UI functions across the entire UI unless there's a very strong reason, like the current position is causing app failures or something. So why was the Notebook selection drop-down moved from the extreme right side of the UI to the extreme left? It couldn't have been moved further if you had wanted!

 

I wonder how many users are doing as I do and moving their cursor up to the upper right side of the notes pane before realizing and then all the way across to the left? This change doesn’t appear to have any benefit at all.

 

Thank you.

 

Jim

[Moe Notes 14]

I agree, agree, agree...and could go on and on about what's wrong with v5. Very frustrating, displeasing, and productivity reducing.

 

The comraderie here of shared frustrations is nice for my emotional state -- but when it's time to get down to business, we need ACTIONABLE SOLUTIONS. Not heresay, snarky banter, or wishing and hoping.

 

That's why I reverted back to 4.7 and I'm good until further notice. Just Do It.

[C6REW 416]

I really do appreciate people not liking the new UI, but for me I love it.

I do agree that it would be better if it was configurable and hopefully one day that will happen.

But in the meantime, as I have always said about software, unless you have a lot of money to throw at a development team, learn to live with the limitations of what it does. We have to do that with every piece of software we use.

Having said that, of course you should continue to make your gripes heard.

Best regards

Chris

[jbenson2 2,147]

I really do appreciate people not liking the new UI, but for me I love it.

 

Could you expand on that thought?

What do find improved in the UI over version 4.7?

There have been many negative comments, but few positive ones (mainly highlighting and reminders).

[C6REW 416]

I really do appreciate people not liking the new UI, but for me I love it.

 

Could you expand on that thought?

What do find improved in the UI over version 4.7?

There have been many negative comments, but few positive ones (mainly highlighting and reminders).

Good question,

Like everyone when I first saw it, my first reaction was 'oh dear, what have they done'.

But following on from my maxim of 'working within the limitations' I started to use it. What I soon realised is that that the clean crisp feel of the screen made it less difficult to find what I needed. It operates very smoothly - true it occasionally crashes, but it boots up quickly and we know they will get that bit fixed.

The way I work is to have my Notebooks listed in a specific order which start by my Personal ones, including shared. Amongst those I have a lot of photographic Notebooks which are used daily. As I go further down the list I get to my Business Notebooks and these are in an order which includes my Diary this year and completed and past years, Quotations over the years and current, PDF docs from suppliers, supplier crucial info such as prices, delivery status information etc, etc. All of these are of course in specific stacks

By keeping the order it becomes simple to move around my list and easily access information. It worked well before but is much easier now due to the 'clean' view. I should add I have been using Windows 8 and Office 365 so have become used to the no clutter and clean environment.

Yes the extra functions including such as reminders are brilliant. I also like the fact that whatever device I pick up I can easily see my 'shortcut' where I keep oft used Notebooks.

All in all a slicker way of viewing and working.

My Wife who hates change with technical products (upgrading her phone is a particular nightmare!) and works in our company was my biggest concern with installing the new version. It surprised me that once I briefly showed her where everything was she has not asked me about it nor complained. In my world that is a big thing!

Bit brief as I am laying in bed on the iPad! But hope that gives you some idea.

Best regards

Chris

[cswilly 41]

Agree with the negative comments on the new sexy looking UI. Usability has dropped.

 

Some constructive suggestions for Evernote designers below. I don't want the designers to lose too much more face, so my suggestions try to retain their basic approach, but try to fixed the most egregious lost of usability in the new UI.

1. Add important meta info: created/updated data, sync status, author. We make decisions all the time based on this information, so clicking "Info" is a huge lost in productivity.
2. Add a "compact mode" (as Google did with gmail). On a 14" laptop Evernote has way too much whitespace. On my 27" monitors at home the extra whitespace is appreciated, so I would like to keep "normal node" too.
3. Add Reminders to List View. On a 14" laptop Snippet and Card Views are not usable. Reminders are a great feature, but only if you can see them. Maybe think about a separate popup window for Reminders--it could be open and visible all the time to act as, you know, a Reminder to your lovery users.

[AndreaUK 2]

Have they made the UI customisable yet so that I can use 5.x soon?

Doubt it but thought I ask...

[DZINENGR 0]

I've read a lot of posts within the forum about not liking the new UI of EN and I can completely agree with the "Not Like" crowd, but for a different reason. EN was different in its look/design and that's what made it fun for me. I deal with day-to-day programs that never change or their UI is designed to be the status quo. But EN, you ruined that appealing character of being different. That difference is what I looked forward to when I opened your product daily. That difference is what asked me to be inspired to organize my world better. And trust me when I say, my organization skills needed inspiration. EN has become part of my life for the past year...now..., just disappointed. I get bugs and things not working and I know they'll get fixed, but please bring back the old UI or at least give users the tools to have a choice.

[idoc 400]

An employee of mine mistakenly upgraded to the new version.  I would like to know how to revert back to v4.x.  I was able download v4.6.6.8360 from someone who posted a site here on this forum (bitcasa).  Do I need to uninstall v5.0 entirely and then reinstall from scratch using this?  Any help appreciated.

[kfreels 31]

It would be a huge improvement if we could just get customized themes. Maybe we could choose some colors that aren't so damned difficult to work with. All these various shades of light gray and white drive me nuts. I need contrast. I know this ugly flat paleness is the trend. gmail did it, and yahoo, and a bunch of others. But did any of these people actually study UI design? No one likes it. The only reason gmail users raved so much about it was because what gmail had before was even worse. Stop being a follower and be a leader and lead us out of this dark age of UI design!

[BurgersNFries 2,407]

No one likes it. The only reason gmail users raved so much about it was because what gmail had before was even worse. Stop being a follower and be a leader and lead us out of this dark age of UI design!

It is simply not true that "no one likes it". I can't say I like it. But I also can't say I liked the V4 UI over the V3 UI either. But I can say I don't dislike or mind any of them. IMO, there may be a few valid points. But in general, all the fuss is much ado about nothing. And it's pretty standard that there will be fuss when a UI is changed in any software. Same thing happened when they went to V4. People don't like change. But sometimes, change is necessary & anything having to do with computers means change is going to happen. Sometimes a UI really needs to be changed in order to accommodate the new features or integrate the new features in a way that makes sense.