Great New Look

[dgbaker]

Thanks for the useful comments, that will help. Would you really use cPanel on your handheld ? I use my 8700 to check my mail and google stuff, but I can't stand using it for much beyond that (give me a REAL laptop )
PS. I like the smilies, then again I also like vi :!

PPS. Search box doesn't have a search database yet.

Blackberry support would definitly be a good thing for both WHM and cPanel. As Murphy always has it, we need to access those areas mostly when we cannot. . I use my B.B. for just about everything, I've even used to check PM from the forum, SSH, etc... So yes, please add support for this.

 

[mctDarren]

Fade effect on menus:
Lose this. Here on the forums as well. Pretty, neat, and all those other newb comments apply to this type of thing, sure. AJAX is great stuff. Fading menus is best left for users sites not control panels.

Here I have to agree. This will probably get old quickly. And mobile access would most definitely be a good thing. In a pinch sometimes I've needed access via SSH and to the forums to update folks. Would be nice to have WHM loaded up on the ole iPaq as well.. (wow, that makes me shiver)

 

[cPanelNick]

Here I have to agree. This will probably get old quickly.

Our general design philosophy is moving twords giving an option [ ] "Turn all the pretty junk off" aka Disable animations etc.

 

[MN-Robert]

In all honesty Nick, I don't like it one bit. We don't use the default "x" skin but a third parties and I just don't understand why your updating it at all when their are other issues to address, ie clustering, remote email servers apache2 etc.

I would rather have all the features inside cpanel working correctly before making it look pretty, and getting onto those feature request some of which are from Jan 2005.

Considering the annual turnover that cpanel would have, at minimum I would have expected something from ceonex this far down the line. More ajax use would be appreciated. I also don't understand supporting older browsers. IE7 is just around the corner, which will fix most of the issues you mentioned earlier so I would not even bother supporting older browsers. Just show a generic "your browser is too old" and give them a firefox/mozilla ie upgrade option. Don't bother with legacy support this is the new version 12. I hope some clustering makes it in.

 

[platinum]

Good to see some of the behind the scenes progress
Few comments on the new design, unfortunatly not so good.

Not a fan of the actual 'graphics' at all - they seem like the style a lot of websites of the late 90's were using. The antialiasing and the faded orange is not a good look either.

The menu on the left is a good idea in theory, but its way too cluttered at the moment - and the usability isn't all that flash, I'd prefer to see the description aligned to the right and the actual 'item value' aligned to the left next to it - rather than how it is now.
(ie Hosting package.................undefined -> ....... Hosting package: undefined ......)

The search box looks misaligned, padding around a bunch of items is really weird - and whitespace helps immensely for reading.

The actual content is not so bad, the icons are really nice. But again, things need to be seperated out more, and probably categories 'defined' by means of a line or something to make it easier to read.

The inside pages are cool and the file manager is great though. Just think you need to consider creating some nice 'clean' graphics for the interface rather than cliche'd 90's design techniques (massive blurs, drop shadows, photoshop bevals, and washed out colours which aren't 'crisp').

 

[MN-Robert]

The virus scanner page also returns a javascript error

 

[rikgarner]

We've always tried to support older browsers, as its better to have a functional product then something that may render a bit nicer in newer browsers.

Microsoft have always "bent the rules" and never properly implemented standards in their browsers, and instead of Microsoft writing their browsers to support standards-compliant websites, website designers have spent the last ten years writing their websites to be Internet Explorer compatible.

Its about time the web community revolted against this, and its Webhosts such as ourselves who are in the best position to do this - encourage your customers to make their sites standards-compliant, and maybe Internet Explorer 8 (in the dim and distant) will finally be a "good" browser (I have been using Opera/Mozilla for years!)

Maybe Cpanel will start a revolution! :D

Rich

 

[celliott]

To be honest I think the graphics used on this forum skin and the new site are increadibly basic. Im no web design expert but a kid could have created that in 30mins using Photoshop. The cPanel logo on the site is awful in my opinion (what logo - Orange with black border), it just looks cheap and hidious. I prefer the older cPanel logo. The navigation on the new site is better though.

Hate everything about that new cPanel skin its hidious. The cPanel X skin IMO is perfect as its nicely seperated with images and disk space and other info is nice and clear down left hand side.

If you want my honest opinion I think you are going backwards here with this "New design".

 

[NovemberRain]

I don't like the look of the main page. Inside pages are fine. Main page could be much better. Even x skin looks better.

 

[procam]

::cough:: I hate change -- :p I like the old site

 

[jenlepp]

I'm going to add my two cents in - we totally dropped new skins to be able to provide uniform looks and descriptions, etc., making it easier for support, and have X, and want to stick with X.

If X goes, that will majorly, majorly suck because I like the X design way better. Like, waaaaay better.

 

[cyon]

Here's another vote for keeping the x skin.
Our skin is based on a parser which graps the output of the x skin and brings out a design the way we like it. If the x skin will be removed we would have tons of work to rewrite it all.

There are tons of plugins, flash movies and howto's out there based on the x skin. I guess a lot of people will be upset if it will be removed someday.

cPanel is a fantastic product but the whole design is awful since cpanel was born.
I would also prefer if you focus on technical improvements like clustering instead of graphical stuff.
But IF you work on your look, why do you don't hire a professional who gives cPanel a brand new modern corporate identity?

It's a great pitty if you "waste" your time on designing a new skin and it still looks that poor...

EDIT: Btw, if you have to make sure older browsers work, you probably should not forget the newer ones. Opera 9 passes the acid2 test but the new file manager doesn't work with Opera 9.

 

[mctDarren]

As far as the new site goes, yikes again... I just went to the main docs page. Orange links over a white background... c'mon folks...

 

[ujr]

I think the redesign needs a redesign. ..

No offense, but I think it's not really intuitive, nor is it layed out better than the X theme. I think you guys missed the mark on this.

Perhaps take a look at other panels out there -- or skins for cpanel like cpskins -- to get a better idea of more friendly, more intuitive skins.

Currently we run the X theme on all our servers, and would rather stick with that than change to this.

 

[bmcpanel]

Thanks for the useful comments, that will help. Would you really use cPanel on your handheld ? I use my 8700 to check my mail and google stuff, but I can't stand using it for much beyond that (give me a REAL laptop )
PS. I like the smilies, then again I also like vi :!

PPS. Search box doesn't have a search database yet.

Yes. A server admin must go out in public sometimes. A customized interface to whm available for handhelds would be a great feature to have. I notice that whm uses frames and my handheld defaults to "Click here to view left frame", here to view right frame, etc. That is actually functional and useful. However, a frameless interface, dumbed down for a handheld (light graphics) would be ideal.

 

[NT]

I really like the new cPanel website, but the evolution theme isn't my cup of tea. It loads slowly in my browser and doesn't look as appealing as I'd hoped.

I'll be sticking with 'X', so please update that

 

[nickp666]

I would be happy to do the conversion for x to the new API (I am far from a fan of the new layout, x all the way), is there somewhere I can contact cpanel and get the information I need to do it?

 

[lucaslim]

The new skin is like moving from windows xp to vista. I like the new skin, looks modern and is fresh.. The x skin has been for quite some time and cpanel need to keep up wif the competition. Look at plesk, they have upgraded to version 8. Wif this new skin, it will allow cpanel to keep up. I'm excited about the new change! And the new site looks great.

 

[RavenSoul_]

No offence, but the new site design looks like cPanel just released the first version. The old one had a professional, commercial look and sold. I think cPanel will sell less with this new style. I'm sorry to say so, but I think many people will agree on me with that.

Anyway, good luck.

 

[procam]

No offence, but the new site design looks like cPanel just released the first version. The old one had a professional, commercial look and sold. I think cPanel will sell less with this new style. I'm sorry to say so, but I think many people will agree on me with that.

Anyway, good luck.

I have really been trying to hold my tongue about this new design but I can do so no longer!!!
for the third time today I have loaded the page and clicked the forum button and NOTHING HAPPENS :p I have to open it in mozilla to get it to work for me its VERY FRUSTRATING!!