Sent by Jared Stein on 7 March 2006 18:06
Yes, I see your point that this is the case for most people with standard OSs and browsers and
resolutions, but wouldn't we like to move beyond 72dpi eventually? My own point of view (and this
is where my 'logic' comes in) is that higher-res is always better if the software supports it. For
example I have a little 14" laptop screen set to 1400x1050 (or higher depending on the project); I
personally set Win to show "large" fonts so everything's readable, but it seems OSs of the future
would better detect the res/screen and adjust the base font size automatically--even if it's just to
set a baseline for the default or 'normal' setting.
Oh, and the javascript for this took all of 20 minutes to write and test, so it's really not a big
investment of time, and I don't see it as a hole. Currently the js has font-size dynamically
increase/decrease as the window is resized, but it could calculate the window size on load and set
the font-size once, with no font-size +/- as the window resizes--really this is no different than
designers setting a base font-size for any element off the bat, except that in this case the base
font-size is not some arbitrary 12pt/16px/0.9em or whatever, it's calculated based on the user's
initial window size.
Anyway, a few have commented that this is a bit off-topic, so I'll invite any further
points/counterpoints offlist!
Jared Stein
Director of Learning Media Development
Distance Education, Utah Valley State College, MS 149
http://www.uvsc.edu/disted/
phone: (801) 863 8929
office: Learning Center 221d
>>> "Mark Howells" [EMAIL-REMOVED]> 3/7/06 10:38 AM >>>
> Hmm, maybe it's just me getting old and wanting my text bigger!
>
> Still one lingering thought: as user displays increasingly become
> higher resolution, there certainly will be a point--and I imagine
> not too far down the road--where what is currently readable by most
> people with the standard layout and font size will not be easily
> legible to a broad base with 'default' high-res displays. I think
> your 16x12 example is a good one, but really what would be wrong
> with setting it thus on a 17" monitor if the page display was more
> suitable to high-res?
I'd question the logic of that. You have to have really good eyesight
to be able to use any standard OS at 1600 x 1200 on a 17" display.
The point is that as a user, you should be able to increase the text
size if YOU want to, not as the designer forces you to.
My point wasn't about cramming a big resolution into a small window
space, more that most people I know who use 16x12 are working with
big monitors and "normal" (c. 1024 - 1200) browser window widths. If
you're using a small monitor, cranking it up to 1600x1200 and then
having to use a full-width browser window whilst zooming everything
to be able to read it, why not just use 1280 or 1024?
If displays do increase in resolution, and remain at 17" or 20", then
that'll mean that the text will be pretty illegible and 72 dpi web
images pretty tiny if the resolution goes above 1920! Getting back
onto the CSS tracks (here on the CSS list!), you'll avoid all kinds
of pointless, expensive and time-consuming development by defining
text sizes in such a way as to allow for client-side resizing, rather
than a nifty technical solution which I, for one, would find annoying
as a user. I may be Superman and be able to read 10px Geneva on a 15"
monitor at 1600x1200, but if not, then I'll increase the text size if
I need to. I'd respectfully say that you're digging yourself into a
hole which you really don't need!
Regards
Mark Howells
www.permanenttourist.ch
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