Linked by Thom Holwerda on Sun 3rd Jun 2012 22:04 UTC
So, I've been using the Windows 8 Release Preview since it came out, almost exclusively (except for work, since I'm obviously not going to rely on unfinished and untested software for that). I already knew I could get into Metro on my 11.6" ZenBook, but on my 24" desktop, things aren't looking as rosy. Here's an illustrated guide of the most pressing issues I run into, and five suggestions to address them. Instead of just complaining, let's get constructive.
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RE[5]: Comment by gmlongo
by gmlongo on Sun 3rd Jun 2012 22:52
in reply to "RE[4]: Comment by gmlongo"
Member since:2005-07-07
Websites are not fixed width solely because wide screens detract from readability, but because they need to reach as wide an audience as possible; therefore, they need to be readable on as many screens and resolutions as possible.
In any case, this has nothing to do with Metro...which was my original point. Put almost any other app (besides a browser) in the left pane, and the content will be used to its fullest.
And yes, as a software engineer, I understand the need for multiple windows and customization options. But in Windows 8, the desktop still exists, so....
RE[6]: Comment by gmlongo
by redshift on Sun 3rd Jun 2012 23:07
in reply to "RE[5]: Comment by gmlongo"
Member since:2006-05-06
RE[6]: Comment by gmlongo
by Aankhen on Mon 4th Jun 2012 08:57
in reply to "RE[5]: Comment by gmlongo"
Member since:2010-01-13
Websites are not fixed width solely because wide screens detract from readability, but because they need to reach as wide an audience as possible; therefore, they need to be readable on as many screens and resolutions as possible.
Fixed‐width layouts are part of the problem, not the solution. Reading a page that uses a single 800px column on a 22″ screen is a pain: I don’t want to squint and I don’t want to put my face right against the monitor, so I bump up the text size… and get to read three words in a line. Reading a page with a fixed width of 1,280px on a 4.3″ screen with a horizontal resolution of 960px is equally annoying, for obvious reasons.
There is no one size fits all solution. Different devices need different layouts, and you can achieve a lot of that on the web using media queries (see http://css-tricks.com/css-media-queries/ for more on that subject) in combination with relative measures and minimum/maximum widths (for example, size your content using ems and set a max-width of 43em on paragraphs).
RE[5]: Comment by gmlongo
by Morgan on Sun 3rd Jun 2012 22:56
in reply to "RE[4]: Comment by gmlongo"
Member since:2005-06-29
Having two sites in an 80/20 split makes little sense for tiling web pages. Having two apps (web browser and text editor, or two web browsers) in a 50/50 split makes a lot of sense.
I agree wholeheartedly, and I feel that Aero Snap was one of the best additions to Windows since the shift to NTFS. A simple flick to the left with one window and flick to the right with another gives you a perfect 50/50 split. For those of us with 16:9 monitors, it means two complete web pages can be seen side by side. For web developers doing a compatibility check visually between browser versions, this is ideal. I've used it myself at the part time job with Notepad++ full of HTML or CSS on the left, and the web browser on the right. Make a change on the left, hit Ctrl+S, hit F5 on the right and there's no need for cumbersome app switching. It's a workflow-centric wet dream.
I'm also happy to see that some *nix desktop environments have begun to copy Aero Snap and other similar features. Why Microsoft wanted to take a huge leap backwards with fullscreen-only browsing in Metro is beyond comprehension.
RE[6]: Comment by gmlongo
by redshift on Sun 3rd Jun 2012 23:03
in reply to "RE[5]: Comment by gmlongo"
Member since:2006-05-06
I'm also happy to see that some *nix desktop environments have begun to copy Aero Snap and other similar features. Why Microsoft wanted to take a huge leap backwards with fullscreen-only browsing in Metro is beyond comprehension.
I know.... IE has had some kind of full screen kiosk mode since at least win98. I found it to be useless and never used it.
RE[6]: Comment by gmlongo
by xeoron on Mon 4th Jun 2012 01:10
in reply to "RE[5]: Comment by gmlongo"
Member since:2007-03-25
RE[5]: Comment by gmlongo
by MacTO on Mon 4th Jun 2012 01:25
in reply to "RE[4]: Comment by gmlongo"
Member since:2006-09-21
of course, you can have multiple columns or blocks taking up the full 1920x1080 (or higher), dynamically moved and positioned using responsive layouts, but that brings its own set of challenges.
Even multiple columns isn't a good solution. It works in print because it is paginated and you can easily view the whole column. (Even newspapers tend to limit the length of columns.) Multiple columns on a web page would force the reader to scroll down then up then down again.
Member since:2005-07-06
Unless we'd replace scrolling with flipping...
We already have "readability" functions or extensions in browsers; and one of the ideas behind HTML was that the client has some control over presentation - it might as well make columns.
That could even fit new UI models (tablets, and so on ...including Metro)
Edited 2012-06-04 02:41 UTC
News
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/19/13 23:02 UTC, submitted by M.Onty
"Microsoft has sensationally abandoned its controversial plans to restrict the sharing of XBox One games, and has also removed daily online authentication requirements for its forthcoming console", reports The Guardian. They had no choice. Still a good move.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/19/13 22:28 UTC
"A snippet of code in the Steam digital distribution platform has revealed that Valve may be planning to let users easily share their games with friends in the future. The Verge has verified the code's authenticity, which was originally spotted by a member of the NeoGAF gaming forum; the code references a 'shared game library' and a notification that would alert a user when their games are currently in use by a borrower." This would change the, uh, game.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 22:33 UTC
Official Apple statement on PRISM and privacy: "Regardless of the circumstances, our Legal team conducts an evaluation of each request and, only if appropriate, we retrieve and deliver the narrowest possible set of information to the authorities. In fact, from time to time when we see inconsistencies or inaccuracies in a request, we will refuse to fulfill it." This is basically Apple re-publishing their earlier statement in a more official manner. You either believe it, or you don't.
Linked by Anonymous on 06/18/13 22:26 UTC
The open source Contiki operating system and its commercial Thingsquare distribution are making strides towards the connected home. According to a Computerworld article, a new LED light bulb manufacturer is putting small computers into their light bulbs. Each computer runs the Contiki OS, which gives each bulb an IP address and allows them to be controlled with a smartphone application. To connect the bulbs to the application, the bulbs use both Wi-Fi and the much lower power IEEE 802.15.4 mesh technology.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 22:25 UTC
"Google asked the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on Tuesday to ease long-standing gag orders over data requests it makes, arguing that the company has a constitutional right to speak about information it's forced to give the government. The legal filing, which cites the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech, is the latest move by the California-based tech giant to protect its reputation in the aftermath of news reports about sweeping National Security Agency surveillance of Internet traffic." Draining the ditch after the cow has drowned in it.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 17:45 UTC
"I can't find one person who has been using the Nexus 7 for an extended period of time, and hasn't seen a massive downgrade in performance. Just what kind of downgrade are we talking here? I cannot pick up my Nexus 7 without experiencing problems like a lag of ten seconds, or more, just to rotate the display; touches refusing to acknowledged; stuttering notification panel actions; and unresponsive apps." Fully and utterly agreed. My Nexus 7 was blazing-fast and awesome for a few months, and at some point, it just started sucking. Just like that. I've tried loads of ROMs, and nothing helps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 17:32 UTC, submitted by poundsmack
A new release of the hobby operating system MenuetOS! The release notes are a bit non-descript, but you'll have to take what you can get: "updates and improvements (picview, httpc, ehci, ...)".
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:58 UTC
"The Internet is one of the most transformative technologies of our lifetimes. But for 2 out of every 3 people on earth, a fast, affordable Internet connection is still out of reach. And this is far from being a solved problem. There are many terrestrial challenges to Internet connectivity - jungles, archipelagos, mountains. There are also major cost challenges. Right now, for example, in most of the countries in the southern hemisphere, the cost of an Internet connection is more than a month's income. Solving these problems isn't simply a question of time: it requires looking at the problem of access from new angles. So today we're unveiling our latest moonshot from Google[x]: balloon-powered Internet access." Insane.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:52 UTC
"MineAssemble is a tiny bootable Minecraft clone written partly in x86 assembly. I made it first and foremost because a university assignment required me to implement a game in assembly for a computer systems course. Because I had never implemented anything more complex than a 'Hello World' bootloader before, I decided I wanted to learn about writing my own kernel code at the same time. Note that the goal of this project was not to write highly efficient hand-optimized assembly code, but rather to have fun and write code that balances readability and speed. This is primarily accomplished by proper commenting and consistent code structuring." Just cool.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/14/13 21:03 UTC
Jon Rubinstein, former CEO of Palm: "Well, I'm not sure I would have sold the company to HP. That's for sure. Talk about a waste. Not that I had any choice because when you sell a company you don't get to decide that. Obviously, the board and shareholders decide that. If we had known they were just going to shut it down and never really give it a chance to flourish, what would have been the point of selling the company? I think the deal we had with Verizon really hurt us, but who knew that at the time? These things are all hindsight."More News »
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Member since:
2010-02-17
Thom's right here. I have a tri-monitor setup: a 27" iMac with two 20" monitors attached. You wouldn't want a site to fill screens that size: they become difficult to read. For maximum readability, lines of text should have a certain length and have certain spacing. Text running all the way across a 27" monitor wouldn't work.*
As a result, I never have windows maximised. I tile them so I can see multiple things at once. This approach is useful for developers, designers and content creators. We're going to have problems with Metro's window management. Well, most will: I won't since I use OS X. Having two sites in an 80/20 split makes little sense for tiling web pages. Having two apps (web browser and text editor, or two web browsers) in a 50/50 split makes a lot of sense.
* of course, you can have multiple columns or blocks taking up the full 1920x1080 (or higher), dynamically moved and positioned using responsive layouts, but that brings its own set of challenges.
Edited 2012-06-03 22:44 UTC