I have gmail and stupidly clicked the “try the new look” button.
I hate it. I have looked everywhere and can’t figure out how to switch back to the comfortable “old look.” Gmail and google used to be cool, now I think it mostly sucks but in the meantime does anyone have an idea how I can go back to my old look?
At the very top on the right is a little geary looking thing. Don’t click that. Slightly further down on the right side there is another geary looking thing with a triangle next to it. Click it and choose to switch back to the old look. The bad news is that eventually you will be forced back to the new look.
Yeah, the choice is only temporary - they are planning to force the new look on everyone in the near future.
I expect the Google haters (who are really just people who hate change - the OP even acknowledges this by describing the old look as “comfortable”) to roll in any second now. And to them I say: good luck finding a company who offers kick-ass technology products on par with the quality of Google’s that doesn’t change, ever (hint: there are none).
Thanks Baracus, I’d missed the further-down geary thing and appreciate the easy-to-understand help!
Yeah, sigh, I know that people (especially old farts like me) resist change, and tech changes fast, and I know google is awesome. I was just being old-farty and resisting it but I’m sure I’ll go with the flow given a bit more time! Hell I survived slide rules, I can deal… 
Of course change is inevitable, the question is whether or not it’s for the better - and when it comes to the “new look” the answer for this Google lover is no.
If you want, using the gear button you can set the display density to “comfortable”. 
If you choose “compact”, it’s pretty close to the old look. I hate it, too, but I went ahead and changed over, because I’d rather do it by choice than be forced to when I’m not prepared.
What is it about the new look that bugs you? It sort of bugs me as well. I think it is the lack of contrast between read and unread emails. Is there a way to change that?
You could pull in your Gmail to a mail client (I use Thunderbird). Then the look will never change.
I’m starting to get really irritated with Google making changes without options, although I wouldn’t call myself a Google-hater. More of a pro-choice purist. Choice is great; involuntary change is not. And it ain’t just Google, Firefox is doing it too. They’re removing choices and forcing change on their users. It’s bad for business. What the hell is the point?
What change are you alleging that Firefox has performed? I see Chrome forcing changes, but not Firefox. So far I’ve always been able to set Firefox back the way it was (although I don’t with everything.)
My only problem with the new Google theme is that the new version of my favorite background is too dark. And I don’t like the side bar’s sugglishness now that it moves on hover. Everything else is fine. You get better HD support, an improved search box, a better immobile toolbar that doesn’t jump as you scroll.
And I’ve reported the problems to Google, who I hope will fix it. If not, I’ll do it myself with a GreaseMonkey script.
(I’ll admit I don’t like the new blandness in all of Google’s new stylings, but I’ll deal. They apparently are going for a more professional look.)
If you have one of the old themes running, they’re terrible in the new look, and new/old mail is difficult to distinguish. However the new themes work really well - the non-photographic ones anyway (in the photographic ones I’m finding it difficult to see icons and links). The ‘compact’ format gets the vertical spacing back to how I liked it. All in all not bad; the appear/disappear scrollbar took a while to get used to, but that while was only 5 minutes and now I think it’s fine.