i like tiger.711's design

I like the fluent graphic user interface as well. I don't like the new design the FDM team presented, though. I'm new to FDM, and if the current user interface was the one they presented at this forum thread, I would have stayed away from FDM.

I don't know why, but I couldn't stop but having this feeling it didn't inspire me confidence to use it. The current user interface blends with the operating system, which is how software applications user interfaces should be - operating system user interface compliant.

For example, I'm a Winzip user. The newest version of Winzip has been using the fluent user interface for a while now. It's simply great; I have all the options right there, without having to navigate through endless and annoying menus and sub-menus. It also blends with the operating system just fine.

If we take a look at Windows 8 Windows Explorer, it comes with a fluent user interface as well; while it still allows the user to minimize. This is perfect!

If the FDM team could pull this up, it would make of FDM even better. Otherwise, the current user interface is just fine. Maybe some improvements only.

I thought about the new design of the floating window.
I think there is not enough controls.

Also, I think that this element should replace the standard windows baloon, which you have now.
Thus, if user takes link in the browser and drag it to the icon in the tray - he see is it now something is loaded or is paused.
Then user can drop the link to the window to start download. Or can move the cursor out of the window and then the window will disappears and will not be distracting until the next time.

Excuse my English, I can not completely articulate the idea on my native Russian, also on English.

I'd like to give my 2 cents on this.

I do not like the proposed design. I know it'd be hard to convince the team otherwise this late, and the poll certainly favor it also. Still, the proposed design looks like something on OSX or iOS, not Windows. It's a chrome design language, which does not fitted with the rest of Windows UI. I would not proclaim that I'd stop using FDM or anything like that since I like this program too much. I tried something else a couple times but the features always bring me back. However, if the new design get released, I'll certainly start my hunt for a replacement for FDM, or just use the old one.

My suggestion (order by personal preference) are:

1. Go Metro. This is very hard, I understand. I don't mean doing WinRT development (though that would be nice). I mean something like http://www.metrotwit.com/. Clean, Modern, Simple, but still offer all the functionality. And fit right into Windows 8. You don't even need to do WPF. Look at, for example, the "expand" layout of the current Windows Live Messenger.

Now I'll admit, it can (but does not have to) looks out of place on Desktop as much as chrome design language (i.e. the current proposal), but I prefer it. The thing about Metro design language is it put emphasis on the content, not the UI. In my opinion, the current proposal (and Chrome design in general) is wasting more space on the UI (chrome) but does not improve any content's readability. The only thing it has over the current design is the progress bar, which can be simply add to the current design. This bring to my choice 2.

2. Keep the current design. Maybe a couple re-design of toolbar icon and add the progress bar, but that's all it needs. Current design does not look out of place at all IMO.

3. Go ribbon. Just make sure you fellow the default Windows ribbon and make it collapsible, with user-customizable Quick Access Toolbar (the top left toolbar you see on Windows 8 explorer/MS Office 2007/2010)

2 & 3 are not mutually exclusive. They can certainly be combined.

I must admit I'm feeling down while typing this. I know I probably cannot convince the developers at this point to change your mind, but I really don't like the OSX-ish design. The last one even looks like an iOS app port. If there is no other choice, please at least keep an option to use the old design.

tl;dr version: I really don't like the new proposal. I really don't. It's so important I say it twice.

Please, don't go Metro. Microsoft is actually killing Windows 8 with that nonsense crap. That will actually cost them a lot. It will be a disaster just like Vista was.
Anyway, I dislike the FDM team proposal.

If you'd like to have a modern UI, then I'd have as a basis Internet Explorer 9 Download Manager. You really should keep it simple on the surface. Advanced users then have the advanced settings under the surface.

-http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/hh144969.aspx

You can't beat that simplicity... etc... etc...


Thanks

I would like to see the option to select which tabs are available, among other things that are GUI related. I never use flash, for instance.

However, I like that first GUI design. It looks very intuitive and resembles several professional download managers I have used previously.

I have a 1024x600 screen, and I like compact interfaces. The current one, in classic mode, is quite good (though I'd like to be able to move the menu and tool bar around, and put them side by side).

3.9 Old style skin reloaded didn't work, leaving me with big (and childish and ugly) icons, but 3.9.1 Beta old style reloaded works again - great!

I understand others have different perspectives, but please leave a 'compact' option for those with tiny screens!

(One might even replace the tab bars with something less space-consuming, such as vertical icon-only tab bars to the left of either pane.)

The "Options" menu only has "Settings" and "Traffic usage mode", even though the help file says otherwise (and speaks of tantalising stuff such as "Optimization Master" - does such a thing really exist?) - some binary settings could be moved (redundantly) into the menu structure.

Great program!

When the new design will be available ? I expected it will be a part of v.3.9 final.

+1000
FDM's gui is the best

MHO:

Even though the current GUI works for me right now, I wouldn't mind something much cleaner.
Something I do find awful though (sorry devs) is the preferences window, which to me is the download manager preferences counterpart to that of foobar2000 (an audio player); weird and unique layouts all over the place, and you still need to launch 200 more windows from that preferences main window in order to access all preferences.
The direct opposite in the media player world is AIMP3. I know it has alot less settings than foobar2000, but the point is that the AIMP3 team knows how to present those settings, and not create a maze for enthusiasts to master.

lol, forgive me for my opinions

"I don't like this and I prefer that" is not a helpful opinion. Download manager is NOT a media player, so noone can imagine how exactly do you want to reorganize options in FDM. Could you give us some more details, please?
For example: Which options and why should be merged in a single dialog window/tab, and which options and why should be moved to separate dialog windows/tabs?

_________________
Andrzej P. Wozniak
FDM user and forum moderator

When a new look?

THE CLIENT HAS TO REMAIN FUNCTIONAL ABOVE HAVING GREAT AESTHETICS!

Feedback on the new design:

The designs put fourth in the "full" named screenshot looks great, but it lacks a very important functionality: Sorting.

Where do I sort them by date, size, filename?

Each download as you show is grouped in a "bubble" which crams the important information in smaller font underneath the title. It's much harder to distinguish the information clearly. The current column based layout is more functional and easier to interpret and also takes much less space. This new GUI design reminds me of uTorrent's simplified list view that I find to be near useless and dysfunctional. This design for the download list also takes up much more space.

The information displayed needs to be clear and sortable.

The left hand sidebar is better than currently, yet the ability to choose to show the download count next to each category must remain if the user wants it to be displayed.

A bit of colour-coding on the button icons would be nice.

Also, if an automatic shutdown sequence has been chosen to occur after all downloads have been completed, an icon or countdown should be displayed on the GUI to signify the auto-shutdown is set to ON.

Please remember to not sacrifice functionality just to have a sleek looking GUI (tucking things away that are used often into context menus is bad).

As long as I'm not forced to use the new simplified "bubble" layout and you include a similar download list layout as FDM 3.9.1 then I'll be happy.

Thank you.

I'm waiting for the new style ... when it will release ?

that's how mine looks ...
http://postimage.org/image/n3c0ysbk5/