When I first used Calibre I thought it was a disorganised mess trying to cram too many features in one app.

Over time I learned to appreciate the vision: it’s not the stereotypical modern streamlined app, it’s the cockpit of a spaceship. It’s AutoCAD for ebooks. I really enjoy that application now, I haven’t even scratched the surface of its featureset.

I heard the author gets very defensive of his design choices: good, I wish we had more opinionated app developers in FOSS.

▲

sgarland an hour ago | parent | next [-]

It’s the archetypal Windows 2000-era power user tool. A million menus, every option you can imagine, and once you learn it, you are god.

	▲	tejohnso an hour ago \| parent [-]
		At least there are menus, I guess. Some power user tools (eg: vim) don't give much in the way of discoverability. You either internalize a significant amount of knowledge and behaviour, or you hate it and move on.

▲

trvz 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

It's tastelessly designed.

▲

mattkevan 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

It’s like UI outsider art. The Shaggs [1] of interface design. Can’t decide whether it’s hideous or wonderful.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shaggs

▲

bardan 3 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> It’s like UI outsider art.

Presenting... MultiPSK!

https://swling.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/MPSK-Fig1...

	▲	jodrellblank an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		“hate scrolling”, he mumbled - https://www.aplwiki.com/wiki/Whitney_C
	▲	brabel 2 hours ago \| parent \| prev \| next [-]
		I like it. I bet a designer would put lots of space around each box and hide stuff under menus and tabs, thus making the full range of options much harder to get at a glance. Like breaking up your giant function into hundreds of tiny functions. Some people prefer to just see everything at once and I think it’s a valid way to do it.
	▲	mattkevan 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		Wow, that’s incredible. Reminds me of this https://arngren.net/

▲

brettermeier 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

What a band! Thanks for the input.

▲

zaphirplane 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Easy to tear down people and ideas, hard to build.

Put forward your vision

	▲	4 hours ago \| parent [-]
		[deleted]

▲

shaky-carrousel 4 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Tools aren't meant to be licked.

▲

abhinavk 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Same with darktable.