Re: [mediaqueries4] - Pointer size/accuracy

On Fri, Apr 19, 2013 at 4:52 AM, Robert Kk <umbertoko@gmail.com> wrote:
> 10px and 40px are nice values. But if you have full HD on 5 inch (like
> HTC one), your pointer size can have over 150px (very thick fingers).
> Other users with motoric handicaps (like multiple sclerosis or
> spasticity ... or using eyes to move the pointer) can use the web at
> moment only by using keys (as I know) because it is too hard to hit
> "our usual" links or buttons by using the pointer.
>
> I think, 150px will also be very good in this cases. But this value
> can also be to small for 4k displays (in few years)... It's not easy
> to look in the future. A "pointer-accuracy-max(100px)" is flexible...
> and can be interesting for game developers (I think so).

I don't understand.  The resolution of the display doesn't affect
pixel sizes; something that's 100px on a normal screen will be the
same size as something that's 100px on an HD screen, or a 4k screen.
You may be accidentally thinking that the "px" unit refers to device
pixels; instead, the "px" unit is purposely display-independent, so it
can be used safely without worrying about the resolution of the output
screen.  (It's the size of a device pixel on old 96dpi screens.)

So, pointer sizes won't shrink over time.  Again, though, if you have
evidence that there are pointer modes out there that are "very
coarse", where sizes appropriate to touch-based interfaces are still
unusably small, that would be really useful information.

~TJ

Received on Friday, 19 April 2013 17:47:10 UTC