Glad there is no universal portrait support
 

this is a thread in response to this:
http://talk.maemo.org/showthread.php?t=32050

Screen rotation introduces a lot of problems, and I would like to state why I am very happy that there is no screen rotation on the N900. I say this from the standpoint of a developer AND user:

screen rotation introduces a lot of extra work in the UI department. I've written Android apps before, and you basically have to design two UIs. You have to test two UIs and you have to think about how you integrate them in your app to play well.

testing = 30% of the whole development cycle. if I have to increase my testing twofold (or maybe not by a factor of two, but still) I have to put more work into the whole project.
Designing the UI takes quite some work. If I have to do it twice, it is twice as much work.

and from a usability perspective, it does one of the worst things you can do: it creates an inconsistent user experience.

we all are geeks, and we like features and things to show off, but auto screen rotation is not the WTG.

the Android G1 does it at least right in the usability department, as it only rotates when you slide open the keyboard. that makes sense for the user. But the Palm Pre is even better here in not disrupting the user experience and usability.

so, please, no autorotation, no rotation at all, thanks.

Re: Glad there is no universal portrait support
 

If this thread is in response to that thread, why didn't you just post it there?

Re: Glad there is no universal portrait support
 

To quote from that thread:

Re: Glad there is no universal portrait support
 

While I'm not against having rotation as a feature (even though I would rarely use it), what I am against is having Nokia resources and community programmers work towards "making stuff turn" instead of working on more new applications, bug fixes and new ideas. That's my main issue.

Fair enough.

Re: Glad there is no universal portrait support
 

Well, you don't have to support auto rotation in your program if you don't want to.

I will as I think my app can make a good use of it.

I believe Nokia made a good choice of not rotating the desktop automatically in the N900.

Aniello

Re: Glad there is no universal portrait support
 

I wouldn't want my phone to rotate only when i pull out my keyboard..that is annoying. I want it to rotate EVEN when i am NOT pulling out the keyboard since there are times you don't use the keyboard at all.

Re: Glad there is no universal portrait support
 

I think AUTO-rotate is a gimmick. And, since it occasionally rotates when you don't want it to, it's more of a nuisance than having to click a button to rotate the screen.

It shoudn't be mandatory, and I think the fixed desktop is good as it helps establish that rotation in apps is not mandatory, or even expected.

There are apps for which non-automatic rotation is important, and they can be coded that way, as they were for earlier Maemo devices. For example, FBReader and picture viewers.

On my N800 I used to have screen rotation. I uninstalled it. I don't miss it.

Re: Glad there is no universal portrait support
 

Even if you can't discuss in the same thread it would be good to have everybody voting in the same proposal.


http://maemo.org/community/brainstor...ut_the_ui-002/

Re: Glad there is no universal portrait support
 

Since Auto-screen-rotation is not the same thing as portrait mode support, and you are not forced to develop in portrait mode, your whole argument is void.

Re: Glad there is no universal portrait support
 

For a lot of people, wider portrait mode support counts as a new idea, even a bug fix.

You have the right the oppose a feature you won't use, but consider this: it is a feature that would improve the usability of Maemo for a lot of people, and help to make it more popular.

I don't have numbers, but I have also seen people here and there commenting that no full portrait mode support is a deal breaker (me included).