POLL: Version 6 versus version 7

[PeCe]

Just to get a general idea how the forum users think about the new version I start this poll.

There is a new version and with all versions there are PROS and CONS. Advancement, development and new options are great, but sometimes people like things how it works. Specially since it works efficient and fast. With the new version 7 there is a big discussion about the interface and new features or lack of features. Just to get a general idea please vote in this poll. If you do not like things in vs7 you can write them down here.

[PeCe]

My remarks concerning the 7.00 beta version.

At work with a big wide-screen monitor version 7 looks a lot better than at home on my 17 inch laptop. This is because the resolution is higher, maybe the developers also work with big monitors. :S But for me working on the 17" laptop, with Windows 7 classic theme it looks awful.

- general - bigger fonts is less information on-screen.
- general - because of the new UI the "info"-screens are smaller, causing less room for information.
- general - much of the UI is now black/white, not very appealing and makes it less easier to recognize.
- general - alternating line colouring is gone.
- general - in 6.58 you can work with windowed input-screens. In version 7 if you open (for instance) a task, you have to use full-screen. Otherwise the information is unusable.
- calendar - because of the bigger font and changed UI I have to use less weeks in monthview
- contacts - missing options to rearrange fields.
- contacts - photos are not resizeable anymore.
- contacts - the option to show (or hide) all empty fields is gone.
- notes - bigger linespacing in the tree is the cause that not all fit on the screen and I have to use a scrollbar. In 6.58 it (I take care of that) fits in the tree window.

[a8907433]

I have to stay with Version 7. I don´t like the new UI at all, V 6.58 looks very much better. But want to use the mail module, the mailmodule is the weakest of EPIM, so every little improvement here (blocking of loading images from internet) is desperatly needed.

[Texter]

upgraded to 7.x, i was skeptical, didn't like the design, but after a while it works for me.
little things to do like contact-module, seperated privat / work / notes like in 6.58 would be a better choice for me

[paulg]

I haven't tried the release candidate of V7 but assuming the UI is the same as the beta release I'll be staying with V6 for the foreseeable future although I do like many of the new features in V7

[Meti41]

In Calendar, less information fits in the main window - in EPIM 6.58, I was able to see my day and week from 8:00 to 19:30, in EPIM 7: from 8:00 - 17:30. Enough for me to skip EPIM 7, sorry. I simply hate such losses of usabilility. I hope this will be correctoed somehow. Greetings for the team.

[Scotty]

For me, it's the Fonts, Line Spacing and the UI that are my main area's of contention.

[Christopher Whitmey]

Many, many thanks for opening this poll. Readability and legibility of EPIM Today and Contacts in v.6.58 is far, far better on my lap-top than in v 7.0.

[KuroTenshi28]

From what I read, the new UI hasn't been thought for laptops, but for rather big monitors with high resolution (in short at least 1080p 22 inch monitors), with Windows 10 if possible (Upgrade to Windows 10 was free so devs didn't care for Windows 7/8). With this kind of rig, it's quite pleasant. With smaller screen, blinking, and smaller resolution, I think it might be awful and not usable. And Aero's design mixed with flat design must be quite disturbing.

Pros :

- Clean and clear
- Memory and CPU friendly (half memory hungry than before)
- Speedy and reactive
- No bugs seen (like taskbar icon that was stuck sometimes)
- Better readable fonts
- More intuitive, less messy. For example I see easily the buttons to reply/forward mails, whereas before I had to right click of use a key shortcut.
- More features than before.

Cons :

- Doesn't seems to have been designed for low res or laptops => too big fonts, too much spaces between lines, too big windows,... Reduced visibility and lot of scrolling
- Seems to have been thought to work in FullScreen mode. => in windowed mode, contacts edit (for example) is not usable for notes.
- Lack of a grid to separate data
- Greyish design not appealing and white color can be bad for eyes
- Not enough UI customisation and themes
- Things could be a bit more condensed.

So I think if you doesn't use it fulltime and work on a Desktop PC, it's quite nice, despites flaws. On other cases, it may be a hard time for users.

To conclude. Please think to every possible rig and tastes when designing and testing an UI ! Customers are lambda people, that sometimes have troubles to change habits, or even doesn't master a PC, and will complain for "nothing".

[umberto]

Hi,
i had a look on v7, tested some features ....
GUI are 50/50 (like/dislike)
Problems are the Contacts Modul because not all fields are visible.
I am missing Private / Company Cards and others too like the V6.x

Umberto

EPIM 6.58 Windows 7/Windows 10

[Roel]

I do most of my work at a desk, Windows 10 on a 4k monitor (3840x2160). Even though I have huge monitor real estate, I still wish the information density in v7 was higher. I have that huge monitor because I have a work style that benefits from having a lot of windows/information visible simultaneously, so I consider information density on the screen valuable regardless of context. Since I have committed to the "modern" or "flat" look of Win10, I don't really mind the whiteness of EPIM v7 that others have complained about, it's consistent with everything else I'm looking at all day.

The information density problem is worst in the Contacts module. The reason is that most of us populate and display our contacts in ways that leave a fair number of blank fields here & there because we rarely have complete information (or the patience to enter complete information) for each person. Max is obviously aware of this and has left wide padding so that we can see the horizontal relationships between sometimes widely spaced fields, but at the cost of information density. That's why so many of us are requesting the return to lines (or alternate shading) in at least Contacts so that the vertical spacing between records can be much smaller.

[ecsaltz]

I have Win10 and 3, each, 4K monitors (attached to a single desktop PC), but EPIM is only on a single 4K monitor at any one time. You would think that with 4K monitors I would have plenty of screen real estate, but because I multitask between Microsoft Outlook, EPIM, Excel, Word and many more apps for related subject information, it saves time on working on fixed cost IT contracts to have all these apps visible simultaneously - that time saved is money in my pocket. And, it's EPIM that is the "glue" that holds all my client information and interactions with all these apps at the same time. Bottom line - the more info in EPIM I can see, the faster I can get my work done.

So, there it is: if EPIM is the center of your work day, where you have so much info in the calendar, notes and to-dos that the more exposed info, the more efficient your are - I think you would prefer v6.x. This means you are an EPIM power user.

But, if you are a casual user of EPIM, which means you occasionally use it, then you really don't care so much about efficiency, and I think you would prefer v7.x. The extra perk here is that new features are appearing for you in v7.x that will not likely be in v6.x

In summary: Power user - you want v6.x. Casual user - you want v7.x. Of course, my humble opinion.

Side note: I don't use the email module of EPIM at all. This is very painful as it would take my efficiency to an even higher level. But the reality for me is the at I have so many Outlook 3rd party add-ons I can't go without in handling emails such that I know of no equivalent for them in EPIM.

[charles@mc.net]

Maxim -
I've reverted back to version 6 and I'm greatly relieved that I can. I can now continue on as I was before.
Please know that I have been a big supporter of Astonsoft and EPIM, recommending it to my friends, documenting numerous fixes and improvements for your firm and even doing extensive proofreading of your firm's marketing materials as a favor to you, etc. I've loved (LOVED) your EPIM Pro product (and still do!). Unfortunately, the new interface is unusable for me. (For the same reasons as given above.) So, I regret that I will probably stop here with version 6.58 permanently. I understand that Astonsoft will likely make few if any fixes or improvements to this version in the future, but please never force me to upgrade in the months and years ahead. Thanks again.
It's been a "good ride."
Charles S.
Northbrook, Illinois

[Tomm Furch]

I much prefer the "Windows 'Classic look'" of 6.58 and prior. I'll stay with 6.58 regardless of no more code updates. Please consider at least providing occasional "patches."

[tandon0929]

Thank God, I was able to reinstall v6.58 and everything worked. Too much wastage of screen real estate due to new ugly interface (no lines etc.) as others have pointed. I would like to you to consider a separate tab for Notes in the new interface. Otherwise, too much time is wasted scrolling to get to my Notes.