Windows Phone 8 - Horizontal Start Screen concept

[Chris_Kez]

...all apps should support landscape mode...

That would be nice. On the flip side, I'd like to see the photos app support portrait view for video (ditto for other video apps). Metrotube does this with pre-loaded videos.

 

[thaman04]

Thanks everyone for the great comments. I really do hope they implement such a change. It's so simple and makes sense.

 

[berty6294]

I don't think this is a good idea nor do I think they will do it this way. It will ruin the uniformity of the platform. For devs who don't make a wide tile, the app just will not allow that size. But for apps that have a wide tile but not a landscape version, well what happens in that case? Half of your tiles render with text sideways? Its not uniform, that's why Windows 8 rotation is the way it is.

 

[thaman04]

I don't think this is a good idea nor do I think they will do it this way. It will ruin the uniformity of the platform. For devs who don't make a wide tile, the app just will not allow that size. But for apps that have a wide tile but not a landscape version, well what happens in that case? Half of your tiles render with text sideways? Its not uniform, that's why Windows 8 rotation is the way it is.

If they made the tiles responsive, that wouldn't be an issue. That way devs wouldn't have to worry if it was wide/narrow. If it was narrow, if it has a lot of horizontal content, they would just collapse/wrap around to the next line. If it's a photo (e.g. picture hub) it would just crop the photo accordingly. If they were to do this, it would obviously mean some change to how live tiles are designed, and I think rather than creating 3 separate tiles, the responsive way would be better so it wouldn't matter how many sizes MS comes up with and allows greater flexibility.

 

[usnberry]

I've often wondered why they didn't include this option. It seems that it would be fairly simple to just make the tiles 're-stack' using either a user-defined scheme or some kind of algorithm e.g. fill all screen space keeping vertical hierarchy as a 2nd priority... if that makes sense.

 

[link68759]

Woah woah woah.... to everyone who says "this will ruin the uniformity and blah blah blah how will devs cope!?"

I said, in the first or second post of this thread no less, WINDOWS 8 ALREADY DOES THIS. The logistics are already figured out, coded, and released in products being used. Wide tiles get rotated and the tile arrangement gets shuffled around to compensate for the new vertical resolution.
Sent from my Windows 8 device using Board Express Pro

 

[berty6294]

Woah woah woah.... to everyone who says "this will ruin the uniformity and blah blah blah how will devs cope!?"

I said, in the first or second post of this thread no less, WINDOWS 8 ALREADY DOES THIS. The logistics are already figured out, coded, and released in products being used. Wide tiles get rotated and the tile arrangement gets shuffled around to compensate for the new vertical resolution.
Sent from my Windows 8 device using Board Express Pro

False. In Windows 8 not a single tile rotates and the content certainly does not rearrange itself. The tiles simply restack themselves into longer columns and shorter rows.

 

[peacefulberry]

False. In Windows 8 not a single tile rotates and the content certainly does not rearrange itself. The tiles simply restack themselves into longer columns and shorter rows.

I think what they mean is that the app rotates and the touchscreen buttons within that particular app rotates as well. As for the tiles, I think they are referring to the different sizes and that they can automatically fix themselves to the tiles near them to gain a uniformed look. I'm actually confused as to what they are referring to... Can someone pls explain, LOL.

 

[link68759]

False. In Windows 8 not a single tile rotates and the content certainly does not rearrange itself. The tiles simply restack themselves into longer columns and shorter rows.

.......... The tiles rotate with the screen, otherwise double wide tiles would be vertical. For the second part, you just repeated what I said.
Sent from my Windows 8 device using Board Express Pro

 

[ashyk36]

Not sure how much of a difference it would make to me, would be nice to have, but would I use it, probably not

 

[migueli2]

To be honest, I don't see the need for horizontal start screen.

 

[berty6294]

.......... The tiles rotate with the screen, otherwise double wide tiles would be vertical. For the second part, you just repeated what I said.
Sent from my Windows 8 device using Board Express Pro

Oh I thought you had meant the content inside the tile rotates like the OP suggests should happen. My apologies.

 

[th0mas96]

What I think would be better is just taking 4x4 block of tiles and put them one after another. for the cases of a big, then a small and then a big tile (5x4) that's not dividable, just use 3x4 and insert a blank icon or nothing at the bottom. I suck at graphics, but I tried to show what I mean:



The red one would be right from the other ones in the landscape, because 5x4 is too big for the screen. Now, there's the problem with "missing" tiles on the right, but I think that the space there could be just black or filled with the theme color, pictures, blank icons etc. Or, what I'd like the most, a big font with a custom text. The advantage of this would be that devs wouldn't need to do another tile, and I think it's really easy to implement. Additionally, I think many tiles would make no sense horizontal - like the clock, wide pictures tiles etc.

I hope you can see what I mean, don't hate on my photoshop skills

 

[thaman04]

I've often wondered why they didn't include this option. It seems that it would be fairly simple to just make the tiles 're-stack' using either a user-defined scheme or some kind of algorithm e.g. fill all screen space keeping vertical hierarchy as a 2nd priority... if that makes sense.

I know, right? :S

 

[thaman04]

To be honest, I don't see the need for horizontal start screen.

It's not for everyone, but many people do want the choice to have it. The main reason for example is if you're watching a video or playing a game, for example, and then you go back to the start screen... why should you have to rotate your phone vertically again? Instead you should be able to stay in horizontal mode if the user wishes too. It'll also bring consistent to the platform. All the built-in apps and settings work in horizontal mode, yet the Start Screen doesn't. Very minor, but very useful to have (for those that choose to use it)

 

[peacefulberry]

It's not for everyone, but many people do want the choice to have it. The main reason for example is if you're watching a video or playing a game, for example, and then you go back to the start screen... why should you have to rotate your phone vertically again? Instead you should be able to stay in horizontal mode if the user wishes too. It'll also bring consistent to the platform. All the built-in apps and settings work in horizontal mode, yet the Start Screen doesn't. Very minor, but very useful to have (for those that choose to use it)

The Microsoft store is another app that needs to work in horizontal mode....i think the whole OS does.

 

[thaman04]

The Microsoft store is another app that needs to work in horizontal mode....i think the whole OS does.

Totally agree!