I just installed 3.53, and it feels like a major step backwards in terms of usability.

In this version, the Album view "dominates", and it is very hard to figure out how to get to the artists view. (The view where I can see a song list, sorted by artists.) I figured out after a while that I needed to click the "close" button, but my wife will never get that.

I think that clicking the "Artists" tab on top should always get you to the artists list. Now, if I clisk "Artists", I get the list that slides out from the left, which I normally close to be able to click on a letter. If I do that, and click the letter, I am still stuck in the albums list.

/Per

There's a bit of clash in philosophy here. For me, the song list by artists was always quite useless to me, since i always had to scroll a lot of pages to get to the artist i was looking for.

It might be related to that i am an album-kind of guy. I have quite few "loose" mp3's. eJukebox has led me along that path, because the album list has made think more album-wise, and... maybe become a smart-ass album fanatic. Or something.

In the old days, where i used to have five or six songs of from each artist, i would probably say the same thing that you are saying now. But now, i am very happy that eJukebox lets you stay in the album view when you allready are in it.

But i agree that there ought to be a better solution than the close button. This is also because i fear people will click on it by mistake. Any suggestions for a setup that will meet both our desires?

Yes I understand this possible philosophiqual confusion.
Maybe the new album/song feature could be automatically activated only after the user had reach some albums amount in its database? That could take care of both kinds of users...

For now, If you don't like using the album list - close it or don't open it at all. It will save allot of memory and allow you use eJukebox the same way you did before. The artist list bar will then function to give you a long songlist for the artists with the letter clicked.

That said, see your point regarding wanting the artist letters to Always create the long song lists. We could add a toggle button for this on the album list or artistlist bar. So that the artist bar letters AND the top Genre/Year buttons can show the long song listings even when the albumlist is open.

or we could just make the artistbar letters always function for long songlists unless the actual artist list is visible. Then you could just use the A-Z keyboard keys to jump to a spot in the album list if you needed when the actual artist list is not visible.

Any thoughts on what would be the best way to handle this?

I think the current function of the artist list is already almost good!
I just would like some little changes when the albumlist is maximised:
- Repeating an artistlist letter - on the keyboard or clicking it several times - should forward the artistlist and the albumlist to be focused on the next ARTIST NAME beginning with this letter, AND THAT'S ALL.
- Clicking on an artist name should focus the albumlist on this artist name - not on the first image... - , AND THAT'S ALL TOO.

Next, IT'S THE USER who decide to display OR NOT an album in the songlist:
- If he click on an image, that's he wants to display THIS album in the songlist.
- If he click on an artistname on the albumlist, then that's he wants to see the complete artist in the songlist...

So, it's only at the moment where the user had made its own choice in the albumlist than the list becomes combined.
I think the confusion appear if you go in the song/album list too early... you see?

But Audiosoft,
as you have said in another topic "the albumlist will be maximised when you click on a letter or AN ARTIST NAME in the artistlist", can I consider you agree with my sight?

Of course an user who don't have yet organised its songs by albums must be free to don't use the albumlist... and only see the results in long songlists.

The only problem with that is: the artist list almost always has more artists than the album list. ONLY focusing the album list; would cause nothing to happen when you click one of the artists without an album in the list. Keep in mind, allot of people download songs off the internet and do not have a ton of complete albums.

Right, so in case there is no album for an artist, maybe you can go in the song/album list directly.

Why not, in case the artistlist is displayed beside the maximised albumlist, to hide the artists who don't have any album?
And when the artistlist is displayed beside the songlist you can show all the artists...
Thus, the problem you notice will never occur!

I'd be happy if we got a new setting; "Focus album list when selecting artist". Which would jump to the selected artists album/s. If the artist doesn't have any albums in the album list, it would go to the songlist instead. Plain and simple. Right?

Secondly, this last suggestion about an artist filter, hiding artists without any albums could be an option...

But i too have artists that with only two or three songs. Some come from compilations, others are from mp3's that friends of mine have downloaded from the net, and i'd like to have these available when they visit. But i agree there could be an option for this, as it would relieve an otherwise very full artist list. But... to be frank, i doubt i would use this option, as i'd like to keep all artist visible, especially of those i have few songs, as a reminder to get hold of some of their albums

100% agreed with perf: 3.5 and 3.53 are versions that I could never let loose on my family. Or on party guests without any prior exposure. From a user-interface point of view, they are too much to handle.

Example: Just the fact, that on the album view you have an "X" button near the progress bar, another "X" button on the right, then another "+" button in the upper right hand corner where normally you would find the "X" button in Windows. Or the fact that you can now have 2 or even 3 navigation menus open (the top bar with <Albums>, <Artists> etc, then the small Album bar with <Options>, the <X> buttons etc., and then the overlayed artist lists. Too many places to click and a new user gets lost.

In the words of my wife: "I only want to listen to my music and I don't know how"...

The solution is simple, though: I have kept two copies of 3.4 in separate directories. One I fire up for parties and one has all my wife's CDs stored and she uses that version. I think 3.4 contains everything an average or a new user needs.

Maybe one day, Audiosoft will come up with an option to choose between a simple and a "power" interface. Until then, my family is happy with 3.4 and I am happy with 3.53 for my own records.

Hm... i see your point, but sticking to using old versions is never a good solution in the long run.

I agree on the 'X' button on the album list. I think it has been brought up on several occations. I would like to get rid of this button alltogether for two reasons:

1. It's easy to click by mistake, being positioned near the scrollbar.
2. New users will have no idea what it does.

I'd like a solution that is more explainable, and less likely to cause confusion.

On the '+' button (fullscreen), i never use it. For all i care, it could very well be placed along with the button that launches the kiosk menu.

But in general, i feel that eJukebox is becoming more and more seamless in its navigation behaviour. The way the album list now responds to the artist selection, for instance. These are all changes that i've seen new users request when using the old versions of eJukebox.

When it comes to the confusion part... well, i don't know. Sometimes confusion comes out of old habit, you expect one thing, and get another. I will bring the newest version of eJukebox to the youth club on tuesday (we've been using quite an old version so far), and i'll check out their responses, as well how people totally new to eJukebox feel about using it.

Demnos,
Closing the Album List in v3.53 = 3.4
That is what the infamous X button, that everyone is so eager to get rid of, is for....

I fear the confusing part comes with too many ways to interact with eJukebox at once And the album list obstructing the users attention at the same time. This is where the problem with new users comes...they don't get to experience ejukebox's songlist capabilities.

Maybe what we need here is just an option to make the album list Disappear after you click an album...then not appear again, where you left off, until you click the "Albums" button. This way you don't have to stay stuck in the album view. And the user is encouraged to the use the home, genre, year and A-Z artist lists.

Hmm....this could be acomplished by replacing the infamous album list X button with a toggle PIN icon. The toggle will be intially OFF - then the user can switch it ON to stick the album list and make it function like it does under v3.53.


Hey Pirk,

Kind of tired of looking at that avatar next to your good name! Think it is time for a change...

Sounds good! It should please both the users wanting the 3.4 style, and those of us who want the album list to stay in focus.

I'm also very happy you plan to add a toggle PIN icon for the album list!

Do this PIN button will be able to keep the albumlist still maximised while i click successively several artists in the artist list, then go in the songlist when i click on a link in the albumlist without need to switch off the PIN button?

I hope you can bear my new avatar?
Sorry if i haved tired you with the old one...

Thanks.

Many good suggestions!

Audiosoft: I like your ideas in both your posts

* Option to have artist letter always create long song list
* Toggle PIN icon

/Per

Pirk, is that man with the accordion wearing a hat, a red dress and long stockings?

By the way, the way you describe the navigation is also the way i want it to be with the album pin toggled on. But frankly, i cannot imagine it acting in any other way either.

Yes it is!...:mad: maybe should i change it again?

No, no... don't change it. I like it! The colours goes well together with my avatar as well.

I was just curious if it was my dirty imagination running loose as usual or not.

Talking about avartars. Hope this one is not too much for ya