Re: About media=handheld?

Maciej Stachowiak <mjs@apple.com>, 2007-12-03 02:43 -0800:

>  I think "handheld" vs "screen" is just not a useful distinction any more. 
>  iPhone has 480x320 screen resolution, and other phones are achieving even 
>  higher pixel densities. The Asus Eee PC offers 800x480. The Nokia 770 also 
>  has 800x480. At this point it's hard to say what's "handheld" and what is 
>  "screen".

Just to offer another data point: The screens on many "normal"
handsets that average users have (that is, not just niche-market
"smartphones") here in Japan are at 480x800 (WVGA) pixel densities.

> What we increasingly see is not a sharp distinction between 
>  computer and mobile device but rather a continuum of computing devices of 
>  varying sizes and capabilities.

Another distinction that's worth pointing out: The distance at
which you observe the screen. In the case of a mobile handset,
that distance is probably between 10 and 20 centimeters. In the
case of a PC or laptop, it's likely more like half a meter at
least. In case of a TV (with a browser-enabled gaming device like
the Nintendo Wii attached), it may be something like 3 meters or so.

So the pixel density and physical size and the screen on a device
need to be considered in combination with the expected distance at
which a user is likely to be viewing the screen. In that context,
the design considerations for making content usable on a TV screen
may have a few more-than-you-might-expect things in common with
design considerations for making content usable on a mobile handset.

  --Mike

-- 
Michael(tm) Smith
http://people.w3.org/mike/
http://sideshowbarker.net/