Thread: Harmattan UI framework development is opened
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ARJWright is offline ARJWright
2010-02-15 , 19:41
Posts: 861 | Thanked: 734 times | Joined on Jan 2008 @ Nomadic
#16
Originally Posted by tomasj View Post
In the same way that it doesn't really make sense to directly port desktop applications to mobile, we are still finding out what works best on different device types. The common factor you can rely on across all MeeGo devices at the moment is Qt. That doesn't necessarily mean a Qt based UI is the optimal fit for a MID type of device. Let's see
Rule of web design that would be nice to keep in mind here:

Content is separate from presentation is separate from functionality.

Qt is a toolkit, not a UI. It creates the ability to put content in the appropriate presentation container so that the desired functionality cam be demonstrated.

1 - 2.2in screens
2.2 - 3.3in
3.3 - 4.1in
5in - 7in
7in - 10(ish) in

These are all different sizes to which user interface has to be optimized. Inside of these screen sizes are expectations of use that drive function. Qt can write to all of these. The OS doesn't matter as long as there is tight governance around the abilities of devices in these form factors, and how the UI elements get presented.

Maemo 5 already has a leg up with Qt support; Symbian, Windows, Linux, etc will all benefit from the groundwork laid here. And except for the smallest two screen measurements I've listed, Maemo/Moblin/Meego is nicely positioned from a UX standpoint.
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