The new version is disappointing; it shouldn't have been rushed.

[maodun96]

First and foremost, I would like to sincerely thank the development team for their hard work during the transition between the old and new versions. However, the performance of the new version is disappointing, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

1. UI Experience

Layout Switching Based on Resolution (Board)
The disappearance of this feature has caused Homarr to lose an important characteristic. Although implementing this feature might be complex, the user experience benefits it brings are evident. For example, on an iPad, the layout could automatically adjust based on the window size, which was an excellent experience. The current version only displays the default board, with no changes even in portrait mode.

Removal of the Sidebar
I cannot understand why this feature was removed. Although it was not very prominent, the sidebar could automatically hide secondary information when the window was minimized, which still had its value. Perhaps the team decided to remove it based on the previous reason?

Visual Design
The rounded corners of the application borders are not as smooth as in the old version, and the background color in dark mode appears darker. Personally, I think the old version was more visually appealing.

2. Layout Editing Logic

Application Concept
The new "app" concept is excellent, but the operational logic is cumbersome. Moreover, there is a disconnect in user experience before and after the upgrade.

• Suggestion ①: In the "NEW item" window, place "app" at the top and separate it from other items with a dividing line. Core functionalities should not be ranked so low.(Just realized that different languages ​​have different rankings. In Chinese, "add app" is the seventh from the bottom.)
• Suggestion ②: Add a quick add and configure "app" feature in the "NEW item" window to avoid forcing users to relearn the operational logic in the new version.

3. Installation (Unraid)

• The "Timezone" variable is missing, causing abnormal log times.
• There is an error in the template; Unraid templates are generally expected to be ready to use out of the box. the Database: URL is empty and not defaulted to /appdata/db/db.sqlite.
• When using host or custom networks, the IP is not displayed, causing the "Open WebUI" feature to fail. (In bridge mode, the system forcibly opens http://IP:7575, so there are no apparent issues in usage. However, the underlying problem still exists.)
• The port variable is invalid; the 80 port assigned to Homarr (custom network IP) does not work. I believe many users will face the same issue.

4. Poor Migration Experience

• Dragging and dropping a zip file to import configurations causes the webpage to crash, while direct import works fine.
• During "Export data," the "Copy & dismiss" button does not copy the key to the clipboard.
• Suggestion ①: When the "Global Ping Function" is turned off in the old version, the exported applications should default to having "Enable simple ping" turned off.
• Suggestion ②: Local icons should be included in the zip file and repositioned according to the path in the new version's data storage location.

The changes brought by this upgrade are too radical and difficult for users to adapt to. It might be due to changes in the repository path that have not yet caused widespread issues.

I believe this is an upgrade that did not fully consider the needs of old version users and was out of control. The team might lack a product manager or sufficient internal discussions to effectively manage these changes.

Additionally, the application icons from the old version (e.g., Radarr's dark mode icon) are gradually becoming invalid. If the differences between the old and new versions are so significant, it is recommended to match the old version's icon library with version 1.0 before archiving and retain the corresponding documentation for the archived version. This would allow some users to stay on the old version.

[NitroHype]

I'm only confused why the sidebars where removed. This choice does not make sense it was a much cleaner layout to have calendar, weather and bookmark widget. Then have the categories next to the sidebar instead of stretching the entire with of the window. I used the left side bar and the categories in the center. It was a great layout for me. Now I feel like I'm doom scrolling just to find what I want.

I'll hope you bring back the side bars. It was a nice quick glance layout for a home page and better organization.

[maodun96]

I think stretching the whole window might be what the current development team wants. So they no longer remake the "sidebar" or "adjust the layout based on resolution." But I don't find that cool at all; they've removed what I considered the coolest feature of Homarr. 😂