NEW Image Zoom Function in Reviews

[SKYMTL]

You all may have noticed that the images in our reviews have been clickable thumbnails for the last little while. However, behind the scenes we have been working on improving the image viewing experience for the readers of the reviews and have now implemented an Image Zoom function into MOST of the images in reviews.

So, instead of having the larger image pop open in a new window, it will now zoom in directly over the thumbnail image.

The FIRST review this has been implemented in is the EliteXStream 800W review posted today.

Here is a quick How To:

- Click on an image when the small hand shows up (may be changed to a magnifying glass)

- To return the image to NORMAL size mouse over it to see the magnifying glass with the "-" sign and click

- To cycle through the images on that page in their "zoomed" sizes, click on one and then press the Right or Left d-pad arrow buttons on your keyboard. You can then click on it again to return it to its thumbnail size.

- To move a zoomed image, click on it and hold the left mouse button and drag it to where you want it. You can then click on it again to return it to its thumbnail size.

Hope you all like this new feature in the reviews.

[Supergrover]

Great Job to the powers that be for this, I love the zoom function!
Eyes arnt what they used to be so this rocks when I want to see something in closer detail that I wouldnt normally be able to see with out the dreaded "lean-in and squint".

[misterlarry]

Originally Posted by Supergrover

Great Job to the powers that be for this, I love the zoom function!
Eyes arnt what they used to be so this rocks when I want to see something in closer detail that I wouldnt normally be able to see with out the dreaded "lean-in and squint".

Yes great work everyone! Thanks a lot!

[gimark]

Awesome, keep up the good work!

[MacJunky]

What was wrong with the way things were before?

[SKYMTL]

Nothing. We just find this more dynamic and having windows pop open in non-tabbed browsers is a major PITA. My company still uses IE6 and browsing through the pictures in a review is always tougher than it should be. So this way we have a fast and easy way to open and view pictures with a bit more interactivity.

you don't like it Mac?

[MacJunky]

I don't like most things so don't be offended.

I always seem to be the only guy on a forum that does not like all this modern zoomy swoopy moving curvy/bubbly bloated/bulky glossy etc crap that is basically crammed down all of our gobs everywhere recently. I don't know how you people love that stuff but you do and it is of reasonable concern to me. Partially because I have to suffer through it but also because I cannot seem to comprehend how everybody just silently goes along with and embraces the wretched trends large companies start. And what about television programming? All that "mindless entertainment" is not good for you. You know that right? Please truthfully tell me that you know this? Please?

Anyway, I can get a bit extreme. I once left a forum in protest of them re-designing their site in a manner I found absolutely appalling. :/ They were not even done and I was gone. :P So far it has been a total boycott. I have not even gone there to grab a bit of information or even checked up to see the final design. It is not that I am pissed, far from it. It is just that I made a stand and will not cave or even be tempted to.
Everybody else loved it but not me, it seems to be a common occurrence and is not limited to appearance either. I hate what computers and other technologies have turned into as well but there is nothing I can do to rectify the situation. Sure setting myself on fire or jumping off a cliff would eliminate my desire to fix things but in the end nothing would get fixed so I would be doing no good for our society.

Even if I do change a couple people's minds and get my way then everybody else gets upset about things and I am to blame. I don't want to piss people off even more though and I am a minority of one(generally anyway) so obviously it makes sense to cater to the majority.
As much as I don't like to say it, I will never be able to change the mind of the majority. I have tried - but it does not work and it generally just makes a mess of things so I don't bother on that scale anymore.

I no longer see much of a point in trying very hard. As a result, as much as this might seem like guilt tripping(it is not my intention btw), just ignore me when I bitch and moan about most things. You have the majority to cater to and you cannot please everybody so that means ignoring me. Well, assuming I am the minority as is with most situations.

I can accept that.

If I get overly displeased about something that most people like I will just ignore it or leave if it is a big deal to me. Simple. Effective. Easy. Clean. Quick.

Go about your daily lives, "improve" what you want, I will try to stay out of your way if I can manage.
Just so you know, I am not upset with any of you at the moment.. Well, perhaps I am disappointed in the display of desire for mindless violence in the BSG thread.. but that is probably it as far as I can recall. You seem to be a great bunch.
Anyway, I am just making you aware of why I complain so much and why you should just ignore me most of the time. :P

Ok, moving on with the thread's original topic. I need to end this post before it gets too long. Also, it really is very off-topic.

[SKYMTL]

Well, thanks for your opinions. We all do things we hate....me I hate seeing ass-poor reviews of products on sites that get 10 times more attention than this site does. However, that is more a blog post than anything else. That being said, we don't want to loose people to changes we make so voicing your opinions loudly and clearly is welcome here.

We are constantly trying to make this site better than your average run-of-the-mill place. Our readers come before marketing, advertising and damn-near everything else. In that same vein we wanted to implement a little something unique which people can use or not. So, we left it possible with browsers with the "drag and drop" feature to have the thunbnails open in a new window like they used to.

Let be honest here: if we all hated change, we would still be hiding in caves, chipping away at stones, waiting for the great googa mooga to come down from the sky and bring rain and antelopes.

[MacJunky]

I just want to make it clear that I was not intending to offend anyone or anything and I was not attacking anyone or anything. I say this because you seem somewhat defensive at the moment and I don't want the wrong impression to come across in these text based messages and cause undesirable and ultimately destructive/damaging results.
I said nothing in anger and I am not upset about what has been implemented. It may not exactly match my tastes but it is not bad because of that and it is certainly not something to get into an argument and or flame war about.

It is fine, it is functional, it is not excessive, it is not ugly. It is nice and minimal. I am not attacking, or otherwise insulting what has been implemented.

[SKYMTL]

Nope, no flame war would be caused and no offense was taken AT ALL. I was taking your good-natured post as just that. I actually find honest refreshing since there is so little of it on the internet.