Quote:
Originally Posted by Noah98
I can't understand why people say that if you prefer 4:3, you must be apple brainwashed 
Isn't it just personal preference? I like 4:3 more because I hold my ipad 2 in portrait mode most of the time. Web browsing in portrait mode with a 4:3 ratio is better (to me). Also, I never have to pan left and right in landscape mode. If I had a 16:9 screen though I would have to pan up and down more frequently. I've held a Motorolla Xoom and Acer Iconia in portrait mode and they are uncomfortable and awkward (especially the Xoom) due to the aspect ratio and weight distribution. When I browsed the web on my nook color I would've loved a 4:3 aspect ratio like the Pandigital Novel has (too bad it has a crappy resistive, low res screen).
When I read comic books (16:9/16:10 are both good for comic books as well, but still not as comfortable to hold) and magazines on my ipad 2, I always hold it in portrait mode, and love the 4:3 screen. Even reading a book in landscape mode with 2 page view is better to me than 16:9.
As far as games go, they are all programed and formatted for the aspect ratio (there are no black bars or anything) so it doesn't matter. In fact, I could use the portrait mode example here again. Tall and skinny might not work as well for some games, although wider in landscape mode could be an advantage. So, gaming is equivalent.
The one area where 16:9 (or 16:10) wins hands down is video. There is no dispute here. But, it depends on how important video is to the user.
To say that 16:9 is all advantage is short sighted. It depends on the user's preference and the task at hand. For me, reading and browsing in portrait mode is more important (and more comfortable on the ipad 2) than having black bars while playing videos. I'm not sure how Steve Jobs influenced my conclusion 
If apple replaced the 4:3 screen with a 16:9 one it wouldn't change my opinion in the least bit. I would still prefer the 4:3. Instead, I would give another look to the HP Web OS tablet (also 4:3) as a replacement. |
I made no comment about Apple at all. What I do say is that you can only optimize a device for one application, and every other application with be suboptimal. The question is what application do you tune your device for? You prefer web access for your tuning. I may prefer video for my tuning. Somebody else may want a 7" screen for more portability. There is no right answer, and lots of room for different choices. (Ebooks are better in portrait 16:10. I just measure a Pbook that was handy. The text block was 6" x3.75" - or a ratio of 1.6, exactly 16:10 portrait.)
After all, why would a web browser tuned device boast a HDMI output?
You see, I like the Thrive (and this is a Thrive thread) precisely because it's video tuned. I want a durable PMP player that has a user replaceable battery and external storage (SD/SDHC/SDXC). I doubt if I'll ever use the web browsing capability. It'll be a travel device, with zipper packs of SD chips for plane trip and relax times at the travel site. I'll keep a netbook for web browsing...