IPB 3.2 - Early Beta Preview

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kyrgyz said:
Ok. To me IPB 3.2 looks boxy and bulky. Visually it's not as smooth, natural and personal as XenForo. I see board, but I don't see myself as a part of it. And no pop-up user info page. To look up a user you have to leave the page you are on. :eek:
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Tomble said:
the lack of a member card seems a bit of a step back.
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Digital Doctor said:
I rarely use member cards.
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The member info popup is still there. Just hover over a members name. :)
 
Wolfie said:
The member info popup is still there. Just hover over a members name. :)
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Not as convenient as XenForo's though. Users are naturally drawn to avatars not member names. At least that's the way I am. Besides, XenForo's way of member info popup without hovering and jungling is way cooler. That's the difference between new approach and old ways. ;)
 
Wolfie said:
The member info popup is still there. Just hover over a members name. :)
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Okay that is actually a very neat idea, if it worked when hovering over avatars it would be even better. That's a rather neat way of combining the quick check experience of the popup without the 'slow' feeling if you actually want to reach their profile page since you don't have to wait for the popup. I guess the main downside to that approach is that if your mouse slides off the name it'll vanish.

Still a neat way if doing it, I have to say I like both XF and IPBs way of implementing it. Hopefully vB will catch up :P.
 
whynot said:
Of course they will! You just have to be very,very,very...patient with them.
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I've heard some things about what's going on over at vB since IB took over and if even half of it is true, then their idea of catching up will be to toss in a little bit of new code and then making a small fix to it that causes hundreds of other issues.

Competition is good for the end buyer. IPB is good for XF and vb because it provides competition, just as XF and .. okay not vb.. is good for making sure IPS strives to do better. It's win win for the consumer and in turn for the respective companies because happy customers means more income.
 
The IPB team have done a great job revising their style and kudos should be given to them for that.

And while the redesign may have been sparked by XF (which was inspired by FB), I think insecure insinuations that IPB don't innovate and thus they are less good than XF is just plain silly.

I don't think IPB's UX is as nice as XF (yet? ever?) but they offer far more functionality (for now?). Don't "diss" something just because you feel it somehow threatens something you covet. Instead celebrate the influence that the XF team is having in the evolution of forum software - which in turn encourages the XF team to do even better. Its a powerful positive cycle that separates that wheat from the chaff and gives us consumers (forum admins) the best choice of the best offerings.

So great job to both IPB and to XF.
 
Shelby said:
Honestly,
Xen is perhaps the best forums, but is bogged down in lawsuits and burdened with the difficulties of a ultra small startup .
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The lawsuits are a nuisance that is true, one hopefully to be resolved very shortly, but the "burden" of being an ultra small start up is hardly new :)

History

Invision Power Services (IPS) was created by Matt Mecham and Charles Warner in 2002, after they left Jarvis Entertainment Group (who produced Ikonboard). Their first product was Invision Power Board, another forum package, which quickly gathered a community of former Ikonboard users.

Matt and Charles were in the EXACT same position 9 years ago.. the only difference is their former employer was not a vicious internet bully intent on frivolous lawsuits to try to save their sinking ship, or was not in a position to do so.
 
kyrgyz said:
Not as convenient as XenForo's though. Users are naturally drawn to avatars not member names. At least that's the way I am. Besides, XenForo's way of member info popup without hovering and jungling is way cooler. That's the difference between new approach and old ways. ;)
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IMO, I'd rather hover over a name (or avatar...doesn't make sense to me why avatar but w/e) to see the "important" information of a user if I'd like to and have the ability to click their name (or avatar - easy to code if not already implemented) to the profile. I find it much easier to do those than it is xF's way (which I absolutely don't like). I don't like that if I want to see their profile I have to click someone's name (or avatar) to pop up a member card and have to click again to bring me to the profile. To me, IPB's way is much more logical. Again, that's just me and using the left side of my brain.
 
Kim said:
Matt and Charles were in the EXACT same position 9 years ago
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Well, I used to use Ikonboard and know a bit about it and it's history and would say they wasn't in the same situation as Kier and Mike. Because Ikonboard was like phpBB, being FREE to download and use.

That makes a huge difference because Ikonboard had no sales to lose!
 
mrGTB said:
Well, I used to use Ikonboard and know a bit about it and it's history and would say they wasn't in the same situation as Kier and Mike. Because Ikonboard was like phpBB, being FREE to download and use.

That makes a huge difference because Ikonboard had no sales to lose!
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Ah okay, so cause it's free intellectual property laws don't apply. Didn't know that. So the whole market share thing, that even free software corporations love to talk about, isn't really that important? Quick someone inform the free software people stat and the Corporations buying said products!

I happen to know a bit about IPB, and yes Matt and Charles were in a very similar position to Kier and Mike, with a number of people questioning the first release forum product from IPB. Thankfully, for the fledgling IPB, the Ikonboard folks were not in the position/misinformed enough to make silly legal claims in an attempt to stop competition, though in IB's defense I think management over there aren't particularly tech savvy to say the least.
 
Digital Doctor said:
IPB 3.2 is probably better than vB4.
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Everything is better atm then vb4 to be honest. They wanted to release their new editor and after set 4.1.4 online they just recognized errors and set it off to 4.1.3 with some useless excuses. Hey sorry but what a kinda s*** is that ;)
But´s prolly the wrong place to discuss any other board releases or mistakes here ;)
 
mrGTB said:
I don't need to spell out the difference because no lost sales was at stake, come on.
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Do you have any notion of market share?

While no finance lost can directly be claimed due to IPB setting up shop, an impact on Ikonboard's market definitely went down judging by the amount of people who moved to Invision post product release.

Back on subject, have to admit 3.2 is going to please a whole bunch of Invision users, and judging by reception of vB 4.1.4 a lot of people looking to jump ship. Anyone else finding it looks sort of old and 2D? Might be my perception, and no doubt the one or two skinning shops still doing fabo product for Invision will fix that real quick.
 
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