800x600 default (Re: [Patch] Add dmask/fmask support into media:/)

[Torsten Rahn]

On 26.08.2006 08:31, Frans Englich wrote:
> "Currently, about 60% of all monitors are set at 1024x768 pixels. In
> comparison, only about 17% use 800x600 so it's obviously less important to
> aim at perfection for these small-display users. What's equally obvious,
> however, is that you can't simply ignore 17% of your customer segment by
> providing a frozen layout that requires more screen space than they have
> available."[1]
>
> That some KDE developers can't properly design GUIs needs to be changed,
> not accepted.

I agree with Frans here. Most of the time if a dialog doesn't fit on 800x600 
it's a good indicator that something is seriously wrong with the dialog.

Looking at these numbers of course should take into account that by the 
release of KDE 4 in a few months numbers might have shifted slightly already.

However keeping dialogs small often makes them easier to understand.
Given that probably most computers which get sold these days are laptops and 
given that even most new ones don't have resolutions that exceed 
1400xsomething the range of important resolutions is quite well-defined.
A window or dialog that has been shrunk to it's smallest usable size and that 
measures about 750x550 pixels still would cover 25% of a large screen.
That sounds quite appropriate to me.  

Torsten

> Anecdotal evidence from someone who walks around at the office at work and
> peeks at his wife's PC is not of much interest. There's a world out there
> where not everyone runs around with the latest cell, ipod, and a flat
> screen display.
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> 		Frans
>
> 1.
> http://www.useit.com/alertbox/screen_resolution.html