Which Skin Should Be the Default? A Comparison of Prime and Nexus

[z-component]

I like Prime more. The sidebar is a bit distracting but I don't mind it. I collapse the boxes I don't use (this setting stays until my cookies are removed every day). Nexus never appealed to me much and Prime seems to have similar traits to the old PF Classic theme. I vote Prime for the default and I pretty much agree with all of the above points.

 

[robphy]

I have a 12" laptop screen running at 1024x768 and view PF on Firefox with 13pixel Arial font. I concur that the sidebar is fixed-width (at about 200 pixels= (1/5)(screen width) ) and the forum index is about 640pixels... the rest of the space being empty space [and, for me, 60 pixels for my vertical taskbar].

I would agree to ditch the sidebar if more than the last post in each forum were listed. But I do think the sidebar increases the information density by using the otherwise empty blank space.

I'll admit that I'm an information junkie.

[I just learned from z-component's post that the boxes collapse. Maybe, as a compromise, the boxes could collapse to take up less horizontal space.]

 

[hypnagogue]

Dissatisfaction with the sidebar seems to be a recurring theme... it would be nice if there was at least an option to go with the conventional non-sidebar, who's online etc. stuff at the bottom.

If a feature requires a certain kind of setting or a certain kind of monitor to look nice, it shouldn't be automatically and irreversibly built into what is supposed to be a clean, no frills design IMO. Nexus is supposed to be the fancier skin, requires flash to work properly and all that, so if anything it seems to me the sidebar would be more appropriate for Nexus. Of course it'd be a moot point if the user could choose to have it or not on either skin.

 

[Moonbear]

Dissatisfaction with the sidebar seems to be a recurring theme... it would be nice if there was at least an option to go with the conventional non-sidebar, who's online etc. stuff at the bottom.

If a feature requires a certain kind of setting or a certain kind of monitor to look nice, it shouldn't be automatically and irreversibly built into what is supposed to be a clean, no frills design IMO. Nexus is supposed to be the fancier skin, requires flash to work properly and all that, so if anything it seems to me the sidebar would be more appropriate for Nexus. Of course it'd be a moot point if the user could choose to have it or not on either skin.

I agree, the point of Prime is to be the no-frills, uncluttered, fast-loading, easy-on-the-eyes version. Nexus is supposed to be the frilly, fun-at-the-expense-of-speed version. The side-bar option seems more appropriate in Nexus than Prime.

 

[gerben]

I like prime more because it makes PF look less like a gaming or science fiction site, although it still has those kitschy green icons in front of each forum title and the sidebar is just awful.

The default skin should look clear, simple and informative and should not try to look “cool” or whatever the intention of the frilly new skins is.

__
my resolution should be high enough, at 1680x1050, but that should not be important, you should be able to watch a forum-site on any resolution… it is about text

 

[Gale]

i agree with basically everyone else. don't like the sidebar, but prime is better.

 

[Firestrider]

Nexus. I liked the flash banner and the colors, it was appealing to my eyes and is one of the reasons why I came back to these forums for help instead of other ones ;). But I haven't used these forums for very long with Prime or Nexus, so I might change my mind.

 

[Moonbear]

Thanks for the input, Firestrider. Getting the opinions of some relatively new folks about their first impressions coming to the forum with the current skin are quite helpful, since the rest of us don't need to be "hooked" anymore.

 

[lozzyjay]

nexus looks a lot prettier :D

 

[devious_]

I don't like the sidebar either, but Prime is still better than Nexus. (Although the old default skin was better than both.)

 

[AngelShare]

Nexus...it's a bit slower but I like the look of it better so I'll wait a few extra seconds for my pages to load. ^_^

 

[Drimar]

Drimar likes Primer because it fits well with Drimar's eyes. The chosen colors are eyecatching

Could site managers change the logo into some other ones, like a picture of Minie and Mickey learning sciences, or Simbie in science world, for example.

Bring them up please, they are famouse enough to be proud of..

 

[Drimar]

It won't ruin your 'old, straight big men' site into kiddie site. Please don't worry because the content of posts is more mature than how it actually looks

The reserve case is 'hard to say' but easily well-explained if readers are 'look-and-feel'

Sorry I just think i like simbie

 

[Dumbobaby]

Yeah, me too, I like the image to be changed dynamically each time the browser reloads the page. Static reloading brings up boredom.

About simbie, true I also like it, it's like a story of my life :-D

 

[[Quadratic]]

Who is Simbie?

 

[bomba923]

Nexus for me :shy:
*Prime is a bit "too bright"..on the eyes. If you could darken it up a bit...I'd try Prime. I don't pay much attention to logos/sidebars...just the appearance of any regular post//