Turns out I was running an ancient executable from the desktop instead of using the shortcut in my research directory that points to some random remote location that I created during the ancient Cretaceous period.

As for Version 7, it's like they threw thoughtful design straight into the trash. Clearly, understanding good product development wasn't high on their to-do list. The padding and font sizes are so inflated, they must think we're all squinting at tiny screens. Wasting valuable screen space and making navigation a chore? I'll pass and stick with the old version.

Support? Don't make me laugh. Things might stop working in, what, 50 years? If that's a concern, maybe you're the one who's confused. Version 2 is working just fine, but 6 is okay, thanks. 7? No way!

No attitude here, just a bit of sarcasm about my shortcuts and the interface.

But seriously, where’s the evidence that 'most' users want more whitespace? In reality, most people prefer a compact layout where everything’s visible and screen space is maximized, which is why widescreen displays are so popular. Version 6 and earlier versions got that right, unlike the cluttered mess we see in Version 7. Sure, the wider interface might work for touch screens, but I’d rather have a clear view of my work and stay organized. There have been plenty of requests for a more condensed layout in Version 7, but they’ve been shot down by Dstillman, who seems more interested in closing the pane than listening to what the userbase actually wants. It’s his way or the highway.

If you've used Scrivener, you know what a clean, well-designed interface looks like—and it's highly customizable. In fact, plenty of people still prefer Scrivener version 2 over version 3.

That view is anything but compact or condensed, a far cry from version 6 and earlier.

The overwhelming white space is hard to ignore, and the 'comfortable' mode is genuinely unpleasant to look at, quite literally nauseating. I guarantee you that switching to 'Compact' makes no difference. The menu and overall design of version 7 lacks thought and wastes valuable screen space.

The images below illustrate what a true compact view should look like, a standard in modern software for decades. I can't imagine using CAD or writing softwares with this poorly designed version 7 interface. It's clearly made for touch screens, not desktop workstations, which are unsuitable for serious authoring or design work unless it's for markup review.

Some applications give users the option to switch between tablet (touch) mode and desktop workstation mode, which is how it should be. Unfortunately, many developers believe there's only one way to design an interface, wrong. I’m not buying that nonsense. Also, applications such as Adobe allows users to toggle between touch and desktop modes, and Autodesk does as well. This flexibility is crucial for working on-site to markup documents and collaborating with the office remotely.

https://s3.amazonaws.com/zotero.org/images/forums/u2166608/sp1417ihmjjgvm8fjdrr.png

Professional writers and designers don’t want to spend their entire day distracted by the interface. They want to focus on what truly matters, their work!

@clarkb: You really are just mistaken here. If you change Zotero 7 to Compact and drop the font size down a couple sizes, you end up with the same information density — Zotero 7 fits a total of one fewer row due to slightly larger toolbar icons. We quite deliberately made this possible, and we even show a Comfortable/Compact toggle on first run.

In any case, the feedback on the Zotero 7 redesign has been overwhelmingly positive, after a long, active beta period, so you do in fact seem to be in a very, very small minority here.

Support? Don't make me laugh. Things might stop working in, what, 50 years? If that's a concern, maybe you're the one who's confused. Version 2 is working just fine, but 6 is okay, thanks. 7? No way!

I have no idea what you're even trying to say here, but no, Zotero is an internet-connected tool that requires ongoing maintenance from us, and various things in old versions regularly stop working — e.g., most Zotero 5 versions no longer sync, and old versions would stop being able to save data from some sites and services.

Anyway, your attitude here is bizarre and wildly inappropriate, so I'm closing this.