[Kde-accessibility] Re: KDE screen resolution policy

[Frans Englich]

On Thursday 25 December 2003 17:52, Tom Chance wrote:
> On Thursday 25 Dec 2003 2:55 pm, Frans Englich wrote:
> I think that it seems, at first, like a fairly simple problem to solve, but
> it isn't. For one thing, 800x600 is too high; I know a few people who are
> partially sighted and who keep their monitors at 640x480 to make things
> more readable for them. For another thing, usually the problem is simply
> having so much information to display in one window, especially with the
> control center modules. Either KDE and Qt need to be more intelligent about

Agreed.  Impaired or not many KDE interfaces are too complex and information 
dense. This needs fixing(and AFAICT will get serious attention post 3.2).

> remapping the layout when it doesn't fit, or they need to provide
> scrollbars on all widgets when they are too large, or all KDE applications
> need to put very small amounts of information in each "window".

I pondered a little bit regarding 640x480 too. As you point out, setting the 
bar at 640 will be *very* hard to reach. The reasons may be good, but if is 
not reached the policy will loose it influence and 800x600 is atleast better 
than nothing. It is perhaps even impossible considering widgets minimum sizes 
and the inevitable layouts of some programs.
Practical details aside, there can be two motivations to aiming for 640:
1) KDE's userbase is in general need of 640x480.
2) Impaired users(the correct way to put it?) need it.

I turn down the first  motivation because it's not true: 14" and 15" monitors 
can run in 800x600. Thus if kde apps manages that it will be fine on all 
monitors.
Motivation 2) is true, apparently(and unfortunately). There is the practical 
problem of implementing it(it would be great if someone outlined more 
exactly /how/ impossible it is) which seemes to be the show stopper. AFAICT, 
when it comes to screen resolution impaired people are left out in the cold, 
and will have to look for other methods. Perhaps kde-accessibility have 
something wise to say(CC'ing).

Don't get me wrong, having the possibility to run 640x480 would have several 
positive effects, an overlooked UI design and more efficient GUI's(but 
beware, small is not always equivalent to good) so it does not only benefit 
impaired people. I would also see 640x480 was possible.
Getting down to 800x600 is atleast an improvement, and further will make it 
easier to reach 640x480. 
We could though, mention in the policy that if it is possible the design 
should also work in 640x480 - then perhaps only some corner cases would 
remain.
This issue is also about how big interest there is concerning getting down to 
640x480. If somone submitted the patches, and they were ok they would surely 
be applied.

> I'd say the first solution seems the best, though as somebody with only
> occasional Qt experience I'm not sure it'd be easy. Number two could be a
> better quick solution, though doubtless too big to get into 3.2

Yes, I forgot to mention this - all code changes (if any..) will be post 3.2, 
in case they not are critical enough for being applied despite the code 
freeze. In other words, there is no excepting to the current commit-policy.


			Frans