Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

http://maemo.org/community/maemo-dev..._on_fremantle/

http://wiki.maemo.org/Using_Fremantl...tation_Changes

Conboy for instance is already using this and supporting both landscape and portrait mode, and it works nicely. Even the rotation looks quite good.

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

Even if true, this doesn't help the one hand scenario that seems to be common to all the use cases mentioned here.

That's the thing. Except bookmark/link based browsing and media player, most of the use cases mentioned here require a one hand input method that 'needs to work'. We are only saying that it is not trivial at all.

Applications supporting portrait mode welcome. Prototypes of portrait input methods welcome.

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

Hey qgil, my man...

I figured I'd do a little less arguing and pitch an idea instead.

How about this:

Since the app can 'choose' weather it wants to support portrait, there is little worry here as the community will drum something apps up based upon demand.

For the desktop...

If widgets are limited to fitting into 2 adjacent 400px x 400px boxes (roughly half the usable area of the desktop), then rotation and re-alignment should be a simple matter: rotate the two boxes and stack one on top of the other (perhaps scale a touch -- thank jeebus for clutter). The flick gesture could remain be up/down (== side to side in landscape).

For the selection menus...

This can be applied to buttons/text/onscreen elements as well, but it implies that all items fit comfortably within two 400x400 boxes in landscape, which can more or less be automatically rotated and stacked in portrait.

I believe the N97 does something similar with it's home screen, though there's no reason why the widgets/buttons/textboxes on the N900 would have to be a uniform size.

Whaddaya think?


YARR!
}:^)~

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

Interresting comment Capt'n Corrupt, what do you think qgil ?

I found this on the symbian-freak website :

http://www.symbian-freak.com/images/...ec_n900_00.jpg

intersting to, isn't it ?

:)

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

Hey, I just had a silly thought...

Can't the developers make their own desktop widgets portrait aware? Or possibly fork the nokia code to do this?

YARR!
}:^)~

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

Except the widgets, shortcuts, contacts and bookmarks can all be different sizes and are freely placeable.

Ah, or is your idea that you'd have some kind of margin (like a book), which a desktop icon couldn't bridge?

That might work. Apparently hildon-desktop is going to be open source, so even if Nokia didn't include the patch it could be made available through Extras.

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

Yes, that is exactly what the N97 for instance does, I believe. Two columns in landscape, one in portrait. Each applet occupies a fixed box in there.

Then again, I also think that it's ... erm, not a very good experience to restrict users and applets like that.

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

ideas ideas... :)

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

It is interesting..

I suspect it would be in Mozilla's best interest to include a portrait mode for their maturing Firefox Mobile browser. I recall reading that it was a priority to get portrait working for WinMo devices. I suspect that a portrait maemo version should not be far off.

I hope it performs well, as it would make a nice alternative to the built-in N900 browser. Considering how close the projects [likely] are, it would probably mean they could share code quite easily.

YARR!
}:^)~

Re: Portrait mode use cases
 

"While we agree that 20 peanuts is a great snack, we feel that 10 peanuts is too few. Therefore, we're going to give you ZERO peanuts."

So, rather than restricting users/applets "like that", you're restricting them to an even larger extent?

Given the choice between "quirky but workable rotation" and "no rotation", I think you'll find that "quirky but workable" will win. Certainly it's not as good as a better solution, that should be delivered as soon as it can be made to work cleanly and reliably ... but in the mean time, _some_ capability is better than _none_.

10 peanuts may be too few, but it's more/better than zero peanuts.