Gmail's Possible New Look

[vdeane]

First Windows 8, now Gmail.  Those of us avoiding the app revolution now have one more service to replace.

http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/10/5704452/screenshots-suggest-google-is-testing-a-completely-redesigned-gmail

[SSOWorld]

I use g-mail to the minimum right now and I have Win 8 set to go direct to desktop.  I use my own domain for email so it doesn't bother me.

[jakeroot]

You dinosaurs really hate change, don't you? Lol, I guess being 18 I've become used to UI's changing every six months. I like it because it keeps things interesting.

For the record, I use Windows 8.1, also direct to desktop (although it started doing that on its own; I adapted to the change pretty quickly as you could imagine).

[DaBigE]

I don't know if it's all hating change...it could also be fear of Google screwing with something that really isn't broken and making it worse (ala the new Google Maps).

[rickmastfan67]

Are we sure this isn't a late April Fools Day joke?

[Scott5114]

I don't mind UI changes when they result in making it easier for me to do what I need to do. When options I need are hidden somewhere obscure or removed entirely (to make it "easier"), that's when I "hate change".

[SteveG1988]

I actually like the new google maps, once they fixed the bugs it works great

[vdeane]

You dinosaurs really hate change, don't you? Lol, I guess being 18 I've become used to UI's changing every six months. I like it because it keeps things interesting.

For the record, I use Windows 8.1, also direct to desktop (although it started doing that on its own; I adapted to the change pretty quickly as you could imagine).

Hey, I was one of those people who embraced Vista/7 over XP and the ribbon over Office's old interface.  But those were things that helped the desktop.  I own neither a smartphone nor a tablet (I find the interfaces of both too limiting, and who wants to pay an arm and a leg for a data plan they'd rarely use?), so attempts to make things more mobile don't help me at all.  Plus back in the day attention was paid to making UIs pretty.  Now it's just utilitarianism and making things "simple" (hiding/removing functionality to make it easier for Joe Public to understand, which really cheapens the experience for those of us who were the tech gurus).  I remember when I was the target demographic of Microsoft, Google, etc.  Now, I'm not anymore.

Additionally, I'm in the strange demographic of heavy non-power users.  Most of the "simple" designs appease the power users through greatly expanding the amount of keyboard shortcuts.  Since I use the mouse almost exclusively, I'm stuck with the touch-friendly interface.  Given current trends, I wouldn't be surprised if the mouse goes the way of the dodo within 15 years.