HI!

Our development team is thinking about the new design for FDM.

We ask our user to help us find the best solution.

For the now, there are 3 possible variants of interface an user can switch between:

1. Very lite:


(Click on image to enlarge)

2. Lite:


(Click on image to enlarge)

3. Full (all the features are shown to user):


(Click on image to enlarge)

What do you think?

What i think is the best in FDM is its GUi.....its far beter and more userfriendly than IDM or others.........PLZZZZZZZZZZ don't change it for god shake

get_prashant_007 wrote:PLZZZZZZZZZZ don't change it for god shake

I agree to a point.

I would like to see in the GUI for a running download:

Right-click > "Enter MD5"

Instead of:
Right-click > Download Properties > Integrity

And for a completed download:

Right-click > "View MD5"

Also, in the left side-bar under "Not Completed + Recent":

Most Frequented -> (for links that are visited repeatedly, like virus defs, etc. in decending order of frequency)

Also, a true lite version for people that like a small download and don't need torrent support and a lot of registry entries.

Both those are small things, the app and the GUI are working great for me.

Current UI is very good, just the menu needs some aero (win 7) look instead of classic look.

I prefer the above (new) skin as an optional theme. ...Thanks!!!

I don't agree with the posters above in the slightest. The current UI doesn't suit Vista/7 very well.

The designs that you have right now are definitely several steps in the right direction, but I think that they should be tweaked a bit more to have a more Windows vibe. Right now they sort of scream Mac...

I'm really glad that you guys are also looking into improving the UI. FDM has all the right features right now and this UI overhaul will make it the definitive download manager for years to come.

Ionut wrote:I don't agree with the posters above in the slightest. The current UI doesn't suit Vista/7 very well.

The designs that you have right now are definitely several steps in the right direction, but I think that they should be tweaked a bit more to have a more Windows vibe. Right now they sort of scream Mac...

I'm really glad that you guys are also looking into improving the UI. FDM has all the right features right now and this UI overhaul will make it the definitive download manager for years to come.

Yea I also think all software produced today needs a more areo look and feel, however as a dialup user my main concern is still the ability of a download program to hold and resume, as a dialup user I mostly download large files/programs at night while the computer is un attended, so I have to be sure it is able/capable of holding the connection and getting the entire item, or if not it doesn't loose what it already has.

Main windows is good, but icon graphics is a bit far from windows style. The idea to enalrge downloads icons is good, as well as graphical progress for all downloads in separate graphs.

Although only difference between lite and full view I noticed is separate view of sections in download view. Is there something else?

I like the new design more than the current one... But as a daily user of FDM for more than 3 years, I'd like to have more of the buttons and features I see right now on the GUI... I use FDM mostly for torrent download and I love the buttons of Traffic Usage Mode directly in the toolbar.

Colors could also be a bit stronger/darker... Design looks sort of washed out imho (and I'm a graphic designer )

I already mentioned earlier that FDM lacks a "up-to-date" interface. The usability is ok, but the look is "old", coming from XP. It needs to be designed new for Vista / Win7 to keep up with the new trend for nice design and eye candy.

I also like the new design as well as it looks more "light" and fresh than the current one. I'd like to see it in a beta test. If the decision is to keep the current design, please give it an update to match the look of modern applications.

Why did you choose refuse of tabs?
If you just move the tabs in the window title - it will be a modern look.

In addition, you could make ribbon-interface

In addition, you could make ribbon-interface

Please, please, do not do this. The ribbon interface is what I would call "user-enemy".

Joseph A wrote:In addition, you could make ribbon-interface

Please, please, do not do this. The ribbon interface is what I would call "user-enemy".

nope you are wrong, ribbon interface is totally user-friendly, because all possible options are available with simple click and in the same place, instead of the old interface where you need to navigate through menues trying to find where is the specific option.

The current design os ok. It still needs changes;

The download window is too big; need to combine items on same line, or remove lines, at least give user option as what is shown.

The progress window mostly doesn't work until you resize it then put it back to the size you had before.

I like to keep history tree expanded, but it won't. Have to expand it every time. Others stay expanded.

Need to allow more than 20 cnnections to one server. A site I download from allows 50, and I can't use them because FDM only allows 20

And a real biggie for me; My ISP resets my downloads on the 7th of each month, not the first. FDM resets on the first. It would be good it FDM had a setting for this.

I would like to see more glassy effect and change in the logo ,
especially the logo should be changed because it feels like using "IDM"
what do you'll think....

..thank you ..

I agree that a ribbon UI would be nice. For someone who works a lot with Office 2010, and other applications using the ribbon as well, it's simply amazing how fast you can access functionality that otherwise you'd have to find by navigating through endless menus, and you'd never find the needed functionality, even though it was right there.

A ribbon UI doesn't make sense in many applications, such as a web browser, but it sure makes sense in a download manager. So, I vote for a ribbon UI.