Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

It's not that simple unfortunately. The thumbnails are not snapshots of the application, they are the actual mapped window, just redirected into a small space. So if the application is currently running in portrait mode, where would the dashboard get the landscape version from?

One possibility would be that an application would have to switch back to landscape mode before the dashboard is opened, so all background applications would always run in landscape. But this would introduce considerable delay every time you access the taskswitcher/daskboard, and another delay after selecting the task (when it switches back to portrait mode).

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

I am probably wrong, but are we not in this situation already today? The dashboard only displays landscape versions of the applications, meaning any applications running in portrait (such as the caller application) are switched when the dashboard is called.

Does this mean we could get into trouble (as the system is designed today) if more applications are implemented with portrait support?

Edit: Only one app should be affected each time and needs to be rotated to or from landscape. The caller/dialer app seems to handle it, without significant delays at least when going TO the dashboard (note "fraction of a second"). I assume it works well in the other direction as well (going to the app from the dashboard).

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

Can anyone clarify how it works if you are in Dialer (or whatever the phone app is called :)) in portrait and open up the Dashboard? Does this switch the phone app to landscape or does it show the portraitmode version just rotated 90 degrees?

To me, just rotating the app 90 degrees to make it fit in the window seems good enough of a solution, but I guess Nokia are a bit more picky. ;)

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

Yes, it does.

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

Yes, that's the situation we are in. If that's good enough, we don't need to discuss alternatives. :) But I don't think that anyone using portrait mode exclusively would be satisfied with this behaviour (it is fairly slow).

No, it's just irritating and slow to use the dashboard while in portrait mode. Just disabling the animation if you stay in portrait orientation might help a lot already, but it would still depend on the complexity of the UI that gets rearranged.

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

Thanks. :) Sounds like some attention to the issue might be motivated even without rotation of the dashboard -- to not diminish the experience of applications running in portrait mode..

EDIT: What I mean is that is fairly pointless to have ASR/USR if there is not first "good" support for applications in portrait mode. *need sleep*

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

so now we need a better way to display portrait apps in the dashboard. But I can work with it as is for now if we had ASR.

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

ASR would just please everyone (landscape only lovers can use landscape, portrait only lovers could use portrait, indefferents could use either or whatever they prefer / app). It needs to be done. Seriously.

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

Wow. Someone who actually gets it!!:D

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

I prefer to use Portrait most of the time for quick tasks ( Phone reading SMS, emails, Media player...as then I can operate the device with ONE hand (thumb)

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

McChicken, your signature says it all. I haven't been satisfied for so long, I'll be very disappointed if I have to go another 6 months to a year waiting for the iconic N95 to be suitably replaced...:(
Come on, Nokia! Show me love, baby.

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

While I don't oppose the Universal Portrait Support option - I find it much better if they implement it for the "most wanted" applications first (e.g. the ones posted on brainstorm?).

On the topic of N95-1, I'm getting this as a replacement for mine as well, regardless of the lack of ASR (disabled since it came on my N95 anyway :P). I'm sure I can work around the lack of portrait in some apps, just as I work with the lack of RAM on my N95 atm ;)

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

I agree, frals. I think I'll take anything with an OMAP proc and mounds of memory, even if it didn't have a screen. N95 is finally at the pawn shop to make me really want to upgrade. I'm on crutches right now having to go PC instead of mobile, but it'll make me appreciate the N900 and not rail on the lack of portrait support. Its like a lady:
She's got a bad attitude, but she's still the finest woman in the room, and I'll take by her a drink and take her home anyway.

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

fwiw I added a pro and a con to the dashboard idea.

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

I don't recall if I posted these screenshots anywhere, so bear with me, I took them a long time ago.

Comment: So every application has to be designed for landscape AND portrait mode? O'RLLY?

Familiar landscape on N810
http://lookpic.com/i/770/b4YvlKjw.png

Portrait (hacked by the community)
http://lookpic.com/i/204/fQw0xAJN.png

http://lookpic.com/i/550/B0nk0UIW.png

http://lookpic.com/i/259/vheh2hAY.png

http://lookpic.com/i/398/u1y3snfD.png

http://lookpic.com/i/61/0a0pWdM3.png

http://lookpic.com/i/794/Cfs1Ajos.png

http://lookpic.com/i/197/CfnbDQR.png

http://lookpic.com/i/891/MNGwutKM.png

http://lookpic.com/i/477/1OCDFDSd.png

http://lookpic.com/i/363/cp87oKZ4.png

(VNC) http://lookpic.com/i/403/WoxhiVwr.png

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

What's the status on this? Any progress? I recall reading that someone was going to "manage" the project....

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

Err those pics prove that they're not designed for portrait. They just happen to work ok in portrait at the expense of a user having to adapt to it.

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

Oh great, a terminal in portrait mode. Ahahaha thanks for the laugh :D come on you can't be serious. It isn't even 80x25. Your font will be much smaller than in landscape mode.

You misunderstood the word designed. It means that the application is optimized for use in a particular mode (landscape or portrait or supports both well). On various of your screenshots you're actually missing information which is in supposed to be on the screen which is a big no-no in usability 101. Add to that the only situation where you are able to show such hidden information is the last which is a remote desktop (VNC, in this case). Well, that was true in landscape mode as well. No sane person uses LogMeIn Ignition on iPhone in portrait mode by default, and the use cases where such is preferred are very, very small. Although it is possible to do so.

None of the examples prove portrait mode is better or easier to use in their case. None of the examples are for finger/touchscreen instead they are for stylus usage.

And the screenshots you posted do not resemble ASR because the rotation is manual because Nokia N8x0/Maemo 4.x doesn't have accelerometer.

My Sharp Zaurus did manual rotation too 5 years ago, on Linux (Qtopia), actually out of the box. Means nothing.

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

I think that this one item, the inability to rotate the entire system to landscape, will hinder it's adoption into the general smart phone world. If that is your intention, to market to only Geeks, fine, I have already pre-ordered mine. I'd just like to know.

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!! thanks Maemo. +1000

Re: Help support Automatic Screen Rotation (Univeral Portrait support) for the N900
 

rofl :D so this is to show them(previous posters) the power of waiting? :D