New Homepage Feedback Round 3
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- Website Opinions
- Tom's Hardware
- Product
Last response: in Site Feedback
We're finishing up integrating your latest comments and feedback on Round 2 of our Tom's Hardware homepage revamp, and the next iteration should be visible sometime next week. Once Round 3 is available for preview next week, we'd like to again encourage you to provide your feedback and clear, constructive comments on it here in this thread.
Thanks!
Note: Thread will open for commentary once the latest version is live.
Thanks!
Note: Thread will open for commentary once the latest version is live.
More about : homepage feedback round
jsheridan
June 21, 2011 5:33:53 PM
aebome
June 21, 2011 5:40:56 PM
I have to say that when this website redesign started I was very skeptical, especially after the first Beta version, which was horrendous. However, after these subsequent revisions, the website has come a long way. Even after Beta 2, I preferred the original home page, but Beta 3 is now the one I like best.
Why the change? First, Tom's listened to its users, changing the layout, adding links (rather than a drop-down) to get to the different categories of latest articles, adding more stories per page to the latest news section, and (I think) adding more entries to the forum feed. The charts have been rearranged by everyone in the forums, but they are eminently accessible in a readable row at the bottom now, a very easy location to find.
Second, the new layout is clean. Information is accessible. News and the forums are prominently displayed. Yes it is a drastic change from the original, which displayed a TON of information because of the various "sections" on different aspects of computing (GPU/CPU/Storage etc). However, the SAME information is present on the new page, despite being much smaller (shorter? cleaner?) because instead of being spread out all over the page (tons of scrolling) it is now accessible through a single click, which DYNAMICALLY changes the home page. Being able to click on each category and get an instant display of those articles is key for me. The layout for all sections is now the same because they use the same "Latest Articles" box which makes scanning much easier for me. And if I don't want to look at graphics articles today, i don't have to click on it and can just skip over it.
Overall I think Beta 3 is great effort by Tom's, and you have at least one reader who will no longer be disgruntled if the latest Beta becomes the final release.
Why the change? First, Tom's listened to its users, changing the layout, adding links (rather than a drop-down) to get to the different categories of latest articles, adding more stories per page to the latest news section, and (I think) adding more entries to the forum feed. The charts have been rearranged by everyone in the forums, but they are eminently accessible in a readable row at the bottom now, a very easy location to find.
Second, the new layout is clean. Information is accessible. News and the forums are prominently displayed. Yes it is a drastic change from the original, which displayed a TON of information because of the various "sections" on different aspects of computing (GPU/CPU/Storage etc). However, the SAME information is present on the new page, despite being much smaller (shorter? cleaner?) because instead of being spread out all over the page (tons of scrolling) it is now accessible through a single click, which DYNAMICALLY changes the home page. Being able to click on each category and get an instant display of those articles is key for me. The layout for all sections is now the same because they use the same "Latest Articles" box which makes scanning much easier for me. And if I don't want to look at graphics articles today, i don't have to click on it and can just skip over it.
Overall I think Beta 3 is great effort by Tom's, and you have at least one reader who will no longer be disgruntled if the latest Beta becomes the final release.
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dmhalljr
June 21, 2011 6:14:40 PM
dbdarrough
June 21, 2011 6:42:50 PM
I really like the Beta 3 and have only one more suggestion to make it perfect. Move the Charts section above the Forum Feeds instead of below.
The Charts are very popular and one of the main reasons I refer my friends and colleagues to this site. Because The Charts section is small, moving it above the Forum Feeds instead of below the Forum Feeds will allow users to still see both yet for many new users that want to determine which video card to buy, etc., the Charts sections is more easily seen and accessed.
Because the Charts and Forum Feeds are the same width, it should be easy to do. Other than that change I really like the Beta 3 format. I like the length and amount of Latest News. I like the new Latest Articles layout with simple links to the different categories rather than a dropdown. I would love to see the Featured Topics section be extended down a little longer to see more topics but that isn't a big deal.
Overall Beta 3 is definitely my favorite. It is easy to read and logically organized. Hopefully you'll think about simply moving the location of the Charts section above the Forum Feeds. Thanks for listening.
The Charts are very popular and one of the main reasons I refer my friends and colleagues to this site. Because The Charts section is small, moving it above the Forum Feeds instead of below the Forum Feeds will allow users to still see both yet for many new users that want to determine which video card to buy, etc., the Charts sections is more easily seen and accessed.
Because the Charts and Forum Feeds are the same width, it should be easy to do. Other than that change I really like the Beta 3 format. I like the length and amount of Latest News. I like the new Latest Articles layout with simple links to the different categories rather than a dropdown. I would love to see the Featured Topics section be extended down a little longer to see more topics but that isn't a big deal.
Overall Beta 3 is definitely my favorite. It is easy to read and logically organized. Hopefully you'll think about simply moving the location of the Charts section above the Forum Feeds. Thanks for listening.
mjmjpfaff
June 21, 2011 8:24:56 PM
dbdarrough
June 21, 2011 8:36:05 PM
mjmjpfaff said:
... i would like to see the topics in the top right where the blank space is though like the old page.and maybe the tom's hardware awards that are at the bottom right of the original page in the blank spot
I think you are seeing blank spaces because you are using some sort of adblock plugin.
user 18
June 21, 2011 9:19:46 PM
The 'Latest News' section is much better than the previous iteration. However, I think Tom's has a decision to make. If they want to stay with the width being optimized for 1024*768 screens, they need to make the top section of the page work with a 1024*768 screen as well.
As a user of a 1024*768 screen on a regular basis, screen real estate is very important. I'd prefer to see only 3-4 "Latest Articles" in exchange for moving the news up into the space on the left of the "Latest Articles" section.
Charts could then go under the news section, and the forum feed, which doesn't seem all that 'live' could be extended to match the bottom of the Twitter feed.
Even without these changes, I would say it is 95% as good from a 1024*768 standpoint, and better from a 1920*1080 standpoint.
If Tom's wants to stay optimized for 4:3 screens at 1024*768, the website should be appealing to them as well, otherwise you should utilize more horizontal space.
Just my $0.02.
As a user of a 1024*768 screen on a regular basis, screen real estate is very important. I'd prefer to see only 3-4 "Latest Articles" in exchange for moving the news up into the space on the left of the "Latest Articles" section.
Charts could then go under the news section, and the forum feed, which doesn't seem all that 'live' could be extended to match the bottom of the Twitter feed.
Even without these changes, I would say it is 95% as good from a 1024*768 standpoint, and better from a 1920*1080 standpoint.
If Tom's wants to stay optimized for 4:3 screens at 1024*768, the website should be appealing to them as well, otherwise you should utilize more horizontal space.
Just my $0.02.
dbdarrough
June 21, 2011 9:43:57 PM
user 18 said:
...As a user of a 1024*768 screen on a regular basis, screen real estate is very important. I'd prefer to see only 3-4 "Latest Articles" in exchange for moving the news up into the space on the left of the "Latest Articles" section.... I would have to respectfully disagree with narrowing the Latest Articles section to move the News section up. It is nice being able to see the last 6 articles at a time instead of only 3 and it is optimized width-wise for 1024x768. It also allows room for the links to different Latest Articles Categories, which is also nice. I also think that having these side by side would make the site busier at the top of the page instead of the clean look Beta 3 currently has with only the Latest Articles across the top and the News directly below it.
I think it is always easier to scroll up and down a little with the mouse wheel rather than side to side within a section. That's my $0.02.
user 18
June 21, 2011 10:41:55 PM
NapoleonDK
June 21, 2011 11:13:15 PM
NewbieTechGodII
June 21, 2011 11:58:48 PM
are you guys no longer linking to the torque report? i really liked it.
it might just be me, but i liked 'latest news' in the center.
i think too that 'featured topics' should be moved up to the same level as 'vendor voice stories'.
i'd like to see 'charts' moved higher.
otherwise, it's better than the other two beta's.
it might just be me, but i liked 'latest news' in the center.
i think too that 'featured topics' should be moved up to the same level as 'vendor voice stories'.
i'd like to see 'charts' moved higher.
otherwise, it's better than the other two beta's.
dormantreign
June 22, 2011 12:24:14 AM
gurboura
June 22, 2011 12:24:32 AM
bimmy47
June 22, 2011 1:00:02 AM
This is a huge improvement over the previous betas, and I would say it is roughly as good as the original (thus I wouldn't be opposed to the switch any longer). Good work.
The twitter feed still seems completely pointless (it just cycles through rephrased news article titles, even though the titles themselves are 2" away). Honestly, as a non twitter user, I would like to see some of the more interesting tweets you guys receive and send, provided they aren't just senseless reproductions of your existing content. If I could see some of the best tweets of the PC hw industry of the day for instance, that might be cool.
Also, the whitepapers section seems pointless. I doubt very many people come looking for that kind of thing on Tom's hw, maybe it would be better suited to the upcoming IT Pro site. You could swap that with the featured section, or get rid of it entirely to buy some breathing room.
The twitter feed still seems completely pointless (it just cycles through rephrased news article titles, even though the titles themselves are 2" away). Honestly, as a non twitter user, I would like to see some of the more interesting tweets you guys receive and send, provided they aren't just senseless reproductions of your existing content. If I could see some of the best tweets of the PC hw industry of the day for instance, that might be cool.
Also, the whitepapers section seems pointless. I doubt very many people come looking for that kind of thing on Tom's hw, maybe it would be better suited to the upcoming IT Pro site. You could swap that with the featured section, or get rid of it entirely to buy some breathing room.
amerikanight
June 22, 2011 1:30:51 AM
jpishgar said:
We're finishing up integrating your latest comments and feedback on Round 2 of our Tom's Hardware homepage revamp, and the next iteration should be visible sometime next week. Once Round 3 is available for preview next week, we'd like to again encourage you to provide your feedback and clear, constructive comments on it here in this thread.Thanks!
Note: Thread will open for commentary once the latest version is live.
looking better but... KEEP THE NEWS COLUMN IN THE MIDDLE!!!!!
LordConrad
June 22, 2011 5:13:22 AM
adriank
June 22, 2011 10:40:45 AM
ecrenshaw
June 22, 2011 4:05:28 PM
Much better than Beta 2. I agree with a previous user to move the charts above the feeds.
I still think there needs to be a way to draw people to the main focus of tom's hardware, which are the review articles. The horizontal layout of them just kind of makes them blend in to the rest of what's going on.
think about someone brand new to the site. Would they even realize that the "Latest Articles" is the main thing on this site? I think not...but maybe.
As Steven Covey would say, "The main thing, is to keep the main thing the main thing." Users should first be directed to the review articles. that is (or at least used to be) Tom's main thing.
I still think you all could spend less money on a new website design and focus on reviews. I find myself having to look at other sites to get a balanced view of products. Maybe it is your writers.
anyway, the site looks better than B2, but only marginally better or not as good as the current site.
I still think there needs to be a way to draw people to the main focus of tom's hardware, which are the review articles. The horizontal layout of them just kind of makes them blend in to the rest of what's going on.
think about someone brand new to the site. Would they even realize that the "Latest Articles" is the main thing on this site? I think not...but maybe.
As Steven Covey would say, "The main thing, is to keep the main thing the main thing." Users should first be directed to the review articles. that is (or at least used to be) Tom's main thing.
I still think you all could spend less money on a new website design and focus on reviews. I find myself having to look at other sites to get a balanced view of products. Maybe it is your writers.
anyway, the site looks better than B2, but only marginally better or not as good as the current site.
army_ant7
June 22, 2011 4:37:15 PM
mrmotion
June 22, 2011 6:36:38 PM
kilo_17
June 22, 2011 6:40:11 PM
christop
June 23, 2011 1:25:22 AM
capt_taco
June 23, 2011 2:16:31 AM
Tamz_msc
June 23, 2011 5:49:05 AM
dormantreign
June 23, 2011 6:11:40 AM
TeraMedia
June 23, 2011 4:15:23 PM
I hated the second beta because it didn't highlight visited links for news articles. That's been fixed in B3, which is great.
I still don't get why a mouse-over of a news title merely repeats the title? Why do you not include e.g. the first few lines of content from the news item (as you do with articles, for example)? Repeating the title makes the mouse-over less than worthless, even when you add the publication date and time. Instead, why not take the first non-bold paragraph (between the "p" tags in the content), up to a pre-set number of characters, and use that for the mouse-over?
I still don't get why a mouse-over of a news title merely repeats the title? Why do you not include e.g. the first few lines of content from the news item (as you do with articles, for example)? Repeating the title makes the mouse-over less than worthless, even when you add the publication date and time. Instead, why not take the first non-bold paragraph (between the "p" tags in the content), up to a pre-set number of characters, and use that for the mouse-over?
LordConrad
June 23, 2011 4:21:52 PM
randomizer said:
Since websites generally don't break on their own, if nothing changed until it broke we'd still be reading hand-coded HTML sites built with tables.True, but the current site is not outdated. It's displayed dynamically, it looks good, and it's very functional. I say let's leave well-enough alone.
dalethepcman
June 23, 2011 7:13:22 PM
Axonn
June 24, 2011 11:43:03 AM
Wow! I'm surprised to see that Tom's actually listened to our comments on Beta 1. That version looked awful and the "Latest News" section had very few items / page. I definitely like this layout more! It has 20 Latest News items, just like the old version. And I like that it's on the left, like a lot of people said.
Good job! This version definitely looks better for me! I'm for Beta 3!
Good job! This version definitely looks better for me! I'm for Beta 3!
Burodsx
June 24, 2011 1:06:24 PM
striker410
June 24, 2011 5:15:03 PM
abbadon_34
June 25, 2011 1:39:58 AM
dormantreign
June 25, 2011 7:03:16 AM
striker410
June 25, 2011 7:44:19 AM
^^ totally behind that layout. I'd make a few changes, like swapping the Tom's Guide Articles with the forum live feed, or moving the ads up (which is probably going to happen anyway >.>) and add a just a litttttle bit of white space above and below the Latest Articles (makes it feel a little more like the original/slightly more organized, at least to me) and then it would be the perfect page in my opinion. Great job Dormant!
CyberAngel
June 25, 2011 5:21:31 PM
no, No, NO !!
Let us at least select which one to use
the best would be a web page that one can adjust
2 columns or 3 columns
which data is shown
where the data goes
colors, font, pictures, flash, etc..all adjustable
Maybe even a possibility to save layouts to Favourites (0,..,9)
so one could switch the layout using Ctrl+Alt & number keys
(Storing via Shift+Ctrl+Alt & number keys from 0..9)
Let us at least select which one to use
the best would be a web page that one can adjust
2 columns or 3 columns
which data is shown
where the data goes
colors, font, pictures, flash, etc..all adjustable
Maybe even a possibility to save layouts to Favourites (0,..,9)
so one could switch the layout using Ctrl+Alt & number keys
(Storing via Shift+Ctrl+Alt & number keys from 0..9)
dbdarrough
June 25, 2011 5:24:31 PM
I like the look of Beta3 but here are my final 3 suggestions to make it better:
1) Move Charts above the Forum Live Feed. Charts are a major reason people come to this site or are referred to this site for the first time.
2) Move Featured Topics to the position of Discover From Our Other Sites right next to Latest News at the top. If these are featured topics, they should be higher up on the page instead of the middle right side and would fit in nicely with Latest Articles and Latest News.
3) Move Discover From Our Other Sites down so it is right below Featured Topics and move Vendor Voice Stories to where Featured Topics was originally on the right side.
By doing this visitors will see the Latest Articles across the top with Latest News, Featured Topics and Discover From Our Other Sites and Charts right below that. In this way, Tom's Hardware will be emphasizing the content that Tom's Hardware provides and the main reasons visitors come to your site.
Below that will be Forum Live Feeds with Vendor Voice Stories, Subscribing to Tom's Hardware options and Twitter along the right side. This groups the more user/vendor created content below the Tom's Hardware content. I also think these changes give the page a good flow. You shouldn't have to change the size of any of these sections much, just move them around.
I really think you are close and hopefully this won't drag on to Beta4, Beta5 .... As always, thanks and keep up the good work.
1) Move Charts above the Forum Live Feed. Charts are a major reason people come to this site or are referred to this site for the first time.
2) Move Featured Topics to the position of Discover From Our Other Sites right next to Latest News at the top. If these are featured topics, they should be higher up on the page instead of the middle right side and would fit in nicely with Latest Articles and Latest News.
3) Move Discover From Our Other Sites down so it is right below Featured Topics and move Vendor Voice Stories to where Featured Topics was originally on the right side.
By doing this visitors will see the Latest Articles across the top with Latest News, Featured Topics and Discover From Our Other Sites and Charts right below that. In this way, Tom's Hardware will be emphasizing the content that Tom's Hardware provides and the main reasons visitors come to your site.
Below that will be Forum Live Feeds with Vendor Voice Stories, Subscribing to Tom's Hardware options and Twitter along the right side. This groups the more user/vendor created content below the Tom's Hardware content. I also think these changes give the page a good flow. You shouldn't have to change the size of any of these sections much, just move them around.
I really think you are close and hopefully this won't drag on to Beta4, Beta5 .... As always, thanks and keep up the good work.
kilo_17
June 25, 2011 10:33:44 PM
dhvd79a
June 27, 2011 3:25:44 PM
dbdarrough
June 27, 2011 5:49:48 PM
jecastej
June 28, 2011 5:55:19 AM
My opinion again, the new layout is visually unbalanced. Information on the left, images on the right? It will cause more eyestrain to look at one side of the screen than the center just when this particular website opens, but I am seated to have both sides at the same distant. This is not an ergonomic choice. Besides in my opinion it doesn't look that good.
fausto
June 28, 2011 2:00:07 PM
skaz
June 29, 2011 3:56:55 AM
sandrah
June 29, 2011 5:27:57 PM
JBrav
June 29, 2011 7:21:34 PM
mtrank
June 29, 2011 7:30:16 PM
I'm not sure I like it. I did some size tests...
IE8, saving to an MHT file...
Original site: 706,786 bytes
Beta 3 site: 944,220 bytes
Firefox 4.0.1, saving to web page complete...
Original site: 933,472 bytes
Beta 3 site: 1,064,002 bytes
it's getting bigger, using more bandwidth, longer to load, etc.
thanks.
IE8, saving to an MHT file...
Original site: 706,786 bytes
Beta 3 site: 944,220 bytes
Firefox 4.0.1, saving to web page complete...
Original site: 933,472 bytes
Beta 3 site: 1,064,002 bytes
it's getting bigger, using more bandwidth, longer to load, etc.
thanks.
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