This is 2012, and we shouldn't be bound by the pixel grid anymore. With so many devices with different resolutions and sizes, it's just an artifact that shouldn't matter to the user or the developer (unless he or she is designing UI themes, icons, or working with low-res screens).
Computer interfaces nowadays use a broken, leaky abstraction. We have objects like windows, buttons, and so on, but they don't always seem to be "real". ("real" as genuine 2D objects in their own right, not just as skeumorphic copies of physical things.) We see the technology beneath leaking through. Two reasons for this are: 1) Computers are not aware of the physical display size, so screen elements change physical size willy-nilly between comparable devices (like two different PCs). 2) High resolution hasn't spread out much yet.
Touch-technology, "Retina"-Displays and the ubiquitousness of small computing devices have come a long way to rectify this, but we're not quite there yet. That's one reason I think we need dpi awareness.
Imagine what would be possible with a fully dpi aware, vector based system (crazy ideas): - A document on the screen could look exactly like on paper (except shining, and with less details). - You could use a tablet as an extension to your PC, in a whole new way. Objects on both would have the same physical size, and you could move them back and forth, or between two screens. - You'd still have font hinting and pixel-snapping so stuff looks crisp on legacy devices. - High-DPI screens would suddenly be viable. You buy a new screen and things don't get smaller, but prettier. Imagine UI elements with very fine structured backgrounds, like leather or fine paper (or just absolutely fine and pretty gradients if you're not into skeuomorphism). - You could zoom in as much as you like, without things getting ugly. Great for people with vision problems.
If anything should be killed with fire, then it is the pixel.
Power management, mobile and firmware developer on Linux. Security developer at nvidia. Ex-biologist. Content here should not be interpreted as the opinion of my employer. Also on Mastodon and Bluesky.
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Re: Yes, but...
Date: 2012-07-16 05:24 pm (UTC)Computer interfaces nowadays use a broken, leaky abstraction. We have objects like windows, buttons, and so on, but they don't always seem to be "real". ("real" as genuine 2D objects in their own right, not just as skeumorphic copies of physical things.) We see the technology beneath leaking through. Two reasons for this are:
1) Computers are not aware of the physical display size, so screen elements change physical size willy-nilly between comparable devices (like two different PCs).
2) High resolution hasn't spread out much yet.
Touch-technology, "Retina"-Displays and the ubiquitousness of small computing devices have come a long way to rectify this, but we're not quite there yet. That's one reason I think we need dpi awareness.
Imagine what would be possible with a fully dpi aware, vector based system (crazy ideas):
- A document on the screen could look exactly like on paper (except shining, and with less details).
- You could use a tablet as an extension to your PC, in a whole new way. Objects on both would have the same physical size, and you could move them back and forth, or between two screens.
- You'd still have font hinting and pixel-snapping so stuff looks crisp on legacy devices.
- High-DPI screens would suddenly be viable. You buy a new screen and things don't get smaller, but prettier. Imagine UI elements with very fine structured backgrounds, like leather or fine paper (or just absolutely fine and pretty gradients if you're not into skeuomorphism).
- You could zoom in as much as you like, without things getting ugly. Great for people with vision problems.
If anything should be killed with fire, then it is the pixel.