new iGoogle changes.
Google has a post on the new iGoogle layout. A lot of their “gadgets” have been updated and the tabs have been moved from the top of the portal to the left of it.
I’m not happy with the changes. The new Gmail gadget now opens within the same window instead of opening a new window (or tab). You can work with e-mails by replying or forwarding, but if you need to click on any web links you have to copy the link and paste it into your address bar. Moving the tabs from the top to the left also has some problems. Google’s blog post describes the move so you can “access to any gadget with one click.” It may be so, but it would have been nice to have some notice of the change.
(left, old design. right, new design. Click for larger versions.)
Don’t get me wrong, I like some of the new apps. The Weather app is particularly nice. However, this design has the feel of being rushed. Maybe it was hurried because of Yahoo’s upcoming redesign?
I do not like the tabs on the left – bring back the old format!!!!
I am also very very unhappy with the one option only arrangement of having the tabs on the left and no longer at the top. I have even deleted my other tab pages but to no avail. The left side arrangement takes up space to no advantage. It only takes up space and offers me nothing that I want in return. Why can’t we go back to the way it looked this morning?? This is a really bad change
I am not happy where the new tabs are, I wold like to be able to put them where they were before. The new tabs make the writing smaller and the space on the left is just wasted.
I do not like the changes. I just switched over from Yahoo, because the dropped changes on us and now this. The financial gadget does not have a way of supressing the “Value” of portfolios, so it is available to anyone looking over your shoulder, which I think is a invasion of my privacy. They also took away the “hide preview” from G-mail, again it is a privacy issue with me. I will be using the Canadian, UK or Irish version until they switch them over.
I dispise the new changes. I wish there was a way to change it back to the way it was before. I never thought I’d say it, but perhaps I’ll have to check out Yahoo.
I HATE THIS NEW FORCED LAYOUT!!! WHAT MAKES GOOGLE THINK I WANT IT? I HAVE MY PAGE CUSTOMIZED HOW I WANT IT. NOT HOW SOME SILLY GOOGLE PIN HEAD THINKS I WANT IT
You can remove some of the more hideous new styling (especially the since menu) with a firefox plugin and this customized style:
http://userstyles.org/styles/11351
You can also go to http://google.ca/ig for the old style. I forgot to mention that. I don’t know how long that will last though.
Forget iGoogle. Move on with Netvibes http://www.netvibes.com with a how-to-migrate
Your new tab fomat idea sucks. It has screwed up my homepage and you give no way of removing the “Home” tab. It simply takes up space and crowds the rest of my page. Go back to the old format and fire the people who think this is such a great idea.
The new left-docked tab format wastes precious screen space. Who’s bright idea was this. I am currently unhappy with what was a great homepage.
I agree with all that the tabs on the side is a mighty step backwards for usablity and aesthetics. The new tab format is totally inconvenient, my gmail takes more clicks and cannot launch links… AND my NYT crossword on my home page has lost its in-place functionality, i.e., like Gmail I must now launch separately to get functions. What happened to choice and customization? Has Google really de-evolved into part of the autocratic establishment? I’ll be looking for alternatives unless things change back or Google provides options. BOOOOOOOOO
PS Jeremy’s solution (17/10/08 ) worked for me, and my homepage is back to normal for now. Thank you, J.