New HardOCP Thread

Looks great! Very nice improvement. I love how the main [H] page is a hub for other categories. Very nice.

I do have a problem though. Sometimes when I select an article under "Latest Arcticles" on the main [H] site, it will sometime load a blank page. This doesn't happen all the time, but I thought I would let you guys be aware of this. (Happened to me on FireFox and IE)
 
Hate it. I definitely preferred the old look to this new, sharp colored, ad filled, unorganized crap look of today.
 
Skrying said:
I'm not a big fan of fixed width sites.
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I absolutely hate fixed width sites. There is already too much wasted space on my 4:3 screen, when I move to a wide screen it will be even worse. However this isn't as bad as most sites because of the black backround. When I open HardOCP in the morning, it atleast won't feel like I am burning my retinas in a sea of white.

Other than that, the new site looks good. The site does look a little crowded, but this is probably just because I am use to seeing the adds on either side further apart. :p
 
Kain said:
It looks great. :D Hope to see the other [H] sections soon. :p
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there needs to be an "Extremely [H]ard" section, with things like extreme cooling and voltmods
 
rls669 said:
Better ban me too. I'll get my hardware news from someplace that doesn't stoop to childish bullying bullshit.
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bullying bullshit? how is banning people who block ads BUT still view the site (which loses money for the site) "bullying bullshit"? its like saying "i shop at stores that DON'T throw you in jail for stealing.... (ok bad analogy, but you get the picture)
 


What you're looking at is the same ad on both sides of the same page while browsing one of the images in a frontpage review.
 
Personally I like sites with news comments, they're handy when you quickly want to see opinions on a subject without having to search for or start a thread in the forums. Otherwise it looks very nice. Thanks Kyle and co.
 
I've been coming to [H]ardOCP since 2000, and I love the site update. One thing that I don't like so much. I think the [H]ard|Forum is a large part of of the [H]ard community but the button for it is now very small and hard to find. Once you find it you don't forget where it is, but it just seems that the forums are kind of getting pushed aside. And I know that isn't what you guys are trying to do.

But other than that, the site looks awesome.
 
Great job! Looks so much more high tech than the old and the new sections are really awesome. All these years & it's still the best source for tech news :)
 
nice... kinda shocking at first but nice anyway...


seems like the weekend went all "Extreme Makeover [H]ardOCP Edition" didnt it...?
 
like the site but some thing is making it now scroll smoothly some times when using FF1.5
frist thought was all the flash ads but the old site had them too and it scrolled fine

other then that i like it
 
4b5eN+EE said:
bullying bullshit? how is banning people who block ads BUT still view the site (which loses money for the site) "bullying bullshit"? its like saying "i shop at stores that DON'T throw you in jail for stealing.... (ok bad analogy, but you get the picture)
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It's more like reading comic books in comic store and never buying one. Now, if the owner told you that he will throw you out if you simply browse and never buy, right when you enter, then that might be bullying. But the guy posted a screenshot of himself blocking ads. That's like walking in and saying, "I'll be here on a daily basis to read your comics and never buy, thx."
what an idget

Kyle has said it many times in the past. This site, especially the forums, isn't very politically correct. He prolly could have said it nicer, but I don't think that's his style. He's a true ____. You fill it in, I don't want the Jim Adler Texas Sized Ban Hammer o.o
 
I don't like this new site.

I find the featured articles section harder to read. The old site had more padding and a larger font.

The bright yellow header text for the news stories hurts my eyes.

I'm not sure if there are more flash ads, but they seem more noticeable and my system very noticeably lags when scrolling. Highly annoying and it applies site-wide. It's things like that that will drive me to disable flash and/or adblock.

(EDIT: I think the bfgtech flash ad is the biggest offender here... when I disable it, performance improves substantially. Heck, when I disable all flash, the site is 100x better. You guys should sell a subscription. I'd certainly pay a few bucks / year to get rid of all the ads.)

This site may "look" better, but I found the old site much nicer to actually use. It's sad that this is what increasing CPU power / bandwidth is doing to the internet. This redesign certainly doesn't benefit the reader.

Two thumbs down.
 
Zephix said:
You guys should sell a subscription. I'd certainly pay a few bucks / year to get rid of all the ads.)
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I doubt very, very seriously that enough people would buy subscriptions to offset the loss in ad revenue. Too many enthusiasts are simply out and out cheapskates. Kyle would either have to sell well over 20K subscriptions at say $25-$50 a piece, and I just don’t see that happening. Even if that did happen, people would start trying to dictate editorial content, because they bought a subscription, and Kyle wouldn’t tolerate that for one second.

You look at all the childish bickering that goes on accusing Kyle and Brent of favoritism toward or against Nvidia and ATI, and that would be magnified by an order of magnitude.

I think some flash ads are simply the price we have to pay for a website of this caliber. There are other enthusiast sites that are much, much worse.
 
The front page really looks excellent. Everything is nicely placed, the text font is very easy on the eyes and it really flows well. Great job! H has always been my fav place for news and forums. Give yourself a pat on the back.
 
New layout looks nice. I don't like fixed width stuff, but at least you have plans to deal with that in the future. It might just be my eyes, but I think the colors make scrolling look really wierd on my LCD. I'm sure I'll get used to it though.
 
I don't feel like all this flash suits [H]....

The first thing I noticed about the new one is all the ads. Maybe its the same as before, but they really stand out now.

I'll keep reading daily anyway...maybe Ill get used to it

EDIT
I think whats really killing me are the two ads in the news column. The ones that make a border are fine but that club IT in the column is just offensively large and misplaced.

One thumb down
 
Long time lurker here. I have to say that the fixed width design doesn't seem very [H] or high tech. The site looks like one of those cluttered Gamespot pages. Yeah, there is enough content that I'll stay around, but I really hate what's been done to the place. Contrast that to what they did at ShackNews in their last redesign. Very spiffy.

Of course you know what they say about opinions......
 
I thought I would throw my 2 cents in. I have been a [H] avid reader for the past 5+ years, but I dont usually voice my opinion too much. I try to keep up with the latest news and reviews, and occasionally give or ask for help on the forums from time to time.

At first the new front page looked amazing, but as I use it I am finding it less and less appealing. Things that grab my attention from the quality of the site is the many advertisement banners that seem to have a more "smack you in the face" appeal. Although im sure the advertisers are clapping , for a [H] go'er I would rather donate to the [H] support to remove some of that clutter. I go to [H] for the convenience to keep up with news and the easy navigation to topics that interest me.

Now that goes to say about navigation. Im stumbling on my feet understanding the separation of the site into strategic market segments. Although the main site covers it all, I did not know if it was beneficial to separate these units first place. While I will continue to always view the main page, I am not an avid console user. Although I am both a [H]Consumer and a [H]Enthusiast and just viewing both of those independently sort of kills convenience for me. Thus I am back at the main page viewing all content.

So now, what about reviews ? Well it appears to be no navigation system on the main "news" page. Now I am forced to use each individual Consumer and Enthusiast page to get to information that I seek. This does not make my experience with hardocp a one stop shop like it once was, now I must navigate multiple pages to find content which once was a single effective setup.

While I hope to not get flamed from other [H], I will not continue to gripe or moan about the new layout/look and will continue to use [H]ard|OCP everyday. Just I would like Kyle and the others to see into the eyes of his [H]'est fans.

-Dan
UofMontana
 
FYI - The "Consumer" page review links are broken. Pointing to http://article.html/?art=ODk0LDEsLGhjb25zdW1lcg==

Was about to check the VooDoo review and cannot get to it unless I manually add consumer.hardocp.com/ in front of article.html and then the formatting is borked.

Also on the actual review the link to VooDoo's website has a \ at the end which breaks that link.
 
MrValentine said:
Personally I dont like it. Its just to cluttered.

It most likely stems from the fact that you built it with a 800x600 monitor in mind so everything is crammed into the center 4 inches on my big ass monitor.

Also the huge ClubIT ad right in the middle of the page is annoying.

I know i'm being negative, but I've been reading [H] since around 98-99, and the redesign makes it look like every other banner ad site. I know you need $$ to run the site and i understand that. Its just sad to see.
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QFT

a strip of content down the middle of the page.....

me too, since late 99....
 
agree with many of the other posts.. looks great, organized, and more professional, but the amount of ads are really distracting.. You know it's too much when I'm looking at [H] at work and I minimize when people walk by since theres so much flashing and movement lol.. oh well maybe i'll try that firefox ad blocker plugin thinger... But I do think a better balance needs to be met in regard to pleasing the community and the quality/quantity of ads..
 
Techx said:
agree with many of the other posts.. looks great, organized, and more professional, but the amount of ads are really distracting.. You know it's too much when I'm looking at [H] at work and I minimize when people walk by since theres so much flashing and movement lol.. oh well maybe i'll try that firefox ad blocker plugin thinger... But I do think a better balance needs to be met in regard to pleasing the community and the quality/quantity of ads..
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Actually... It looks like the graphic provided to the [H] might just have been formatted incorrectly. It does look huge and distracting, but something tells me it's a placeholder for a shorter, wider, better-fitting ad.
 
Lets see....
we have....
2 Coasiar ads...
1 intel ad....
1 bfg ad...
1 newegg ad...
Edit: 1 s3 graphics ad... :/



The Ads blind me, but.... it happens to every site that becomes poplular, as always the ads will interfere with the overall purpose of the site and...... Good bye HARDOCP, GG; you just proved to me your no different from any other technology review company, my advise: LOSE THE ADS!!! . For me, I'll just use a proxy and get rid of them.
 
Hate to say it, but the main page of [H]ardOCP is just too cluttered now for my eyes.

With all the animated ads and banners (which I do understand are needed for revenue), its like I'm watching a fireworks display.

I'll still be checking for forums several times a day, but I dont see me looking at the main [H]ardOCP page anymore unless absolutely necessary.

Sorry. :(
 
I love the new layout.
I have no problem with the ads, but some of these flash ads are over powering! I think the ads need to follow the KISS rule. Less BLING, More Message.

Other than that, the new [H] site looks great!
Great Job to all involved.
 
pashonic2nd said:
my advise: LOSE THE ADS!!! . For me, I'll just use a proxy and get rid of them.
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Yeah. That's realistic. It's like asking a family man to quit his day job.

Yes, Flash isn't ideal for us. No, companies will not stop using them. Flash allows companies to pack a lot of information and "in-your-face attitude" into a small memory footprint. A small memory footprint is a win for just about everyone in the end.

The fact is that we come here for reliable data and information we won't get elsewhere. Flash ads causing slight bog downs on the lowest end of machines isn't a primary concern to [H]. Their focus is on content.
 
While I have generally no problems with the presence of ads on the H site or on other sites I choose to visit, I find that the BFG flash ad on the H frontpage is far too CPU-happy, demanding a CPU load of 30-50% all by itself... on a 3.4 GHz P4.

These CPU cycles are made better use of in folding, hence I uncheck "Play" on the BFG ad... and the IE CPU load drops below 5%, where it belongs. BFG got my attention (although not in a good way), Stanford gets the CPU power they deserve and H gets paid for the ad. Everybody's happy, OK?

btw congrats with new web design, it's nice-looking but somewhat mainstream. Content is everything though.
 
One thing I noticed... And it has nothing to do with advertisements. Didn't the [H] used to have a light border around the news itself, between the border/ad space and itself, possibly just a [H] maroon line? I find my eyes wandering to the black space outside of the news once I get below the ads. Also, the favorite icon for the main page seems to have disappeared. Other than that, I like it. :)
 
I have been reading this site since about '98, a few years before I signed up for the forums and I'm glad the site finally has a polished, professional look. Especially since you started to cater to industry/enterprise guys.

A couple things that bother me are, first, that ClubIT ad. I'm not against ads, but stick to the banner ads. It's a waste of screen real estate and you might as well put two ads next to each other in that space. Secondly, you're going a little overboard with the Flash ads. I don't mind some, but when they occupy the whole screen, it's extremely distracting.

Also, should the [H] Console site be [H] Gamer? It might be useful if it's straight gaming news and reviews. That is unless you have a ton of content planned for console stuff that we're just not used to seeing. Just a thought.

I would also like to say that I understand why you lauched the site fixed-width. It's good to have a smooth transition, but it should not stay this way long. You should really find a site designer who knows how to create a dynamic sized site. No offense to the guy, but the fact that it's not easy is not a valid reason. Especially for a tech enthusiast site. I think whoever designs this site is obligated to do it justice. This is the best tech news site out there and it deserves to look the best. I haven't been reading it for so long for no reason.

I hope my constructive criticism doesn't offend the [H] staff. I think with a few minor tweaks, this site will not only be the best, but look the best too.
 
I wonder if I can force the [H]consumer css onto the rest of the site. The white is much easier on my eyes and a lot easier to read. just my 2 cents.
 
Looks good.
I really like the Console orange colors. (The different categories is a great idea.)
The rss feeds are awesome. ( The old one didn't cut it)
Layout is great and is nice to Opera.
Like the id on the body. (Not totally unique, but a decent css sig)

I didn't take well to arstechnica's new design ( I barely visit the site anymore because of it even with the customization options) and was afraid I wouldn't like the new [H] layout, but it's great.

Scrolling is really, really jerky because of the 100% cpu usage on the pages, but I'm using an ancient pc at the moment unfortunately, so that might be the problem. Flash is just a resource hog and nothing you can do about that.

Awesome!
 
Geesh...I just noticed the whole thing with the CPU utilization when on the [H] frontpage, hovering between 45 and 50% on the firefox.exe process when the BFG ad is running. When it goes to a frozen image, the CPU utilization goes down to 0%. Any way that this could be fixed?

EDIT: it's the same thing when running Internet Explorer (iexplorer.exe).
 
electech98 said:
Geesh...I just noticed the whole thing with the CPU utilization when on the [H] frontpage, hovering between 45 and 50% on the firefox.exe process when the BFG ad is running. When it goes to a frozen image, the CPU utilization goes down to 0%. Any way that this could be reduced?

EDIT: it's the same thing when running Internet Explorer (iexplorer.exe).
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Reminds me of a problem the [H] once had years ago with a UGO ad that had a monkey in it. If I remember, that ad got changed quite quickly.
 
yea seems that BFG ad is whats messing with the main page any chance we can get that fixed?
 
The new look is great. Been surfing the [H] since almost the beginning, and am loving how professional the new layout looks....but yet still keeping the classic [H] feel. Great job guys!!!!
 
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