Pandora Screen Resolution Comparison - test any application


mazza558

Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2008
Messages
444
Hi all,

I've very quickly made these size comparison wallpapers, so people can try out various applications that they might want to use on the pandora, and see if it's practical to use. For example, I'm currently using Firefox at the Pandora's screen resolution and it's quite a comfortable fit.

1024x768 = https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/29948/Pandora Screen Size/1024768.jpg
1280x800 = https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/29948/Pandora Screen Size/1280800.jpg
1280x1024 = https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/29948/Pandora Screen Size/12801024.jpg
1600x1200 = https://dl.getdropbox.com/u/29948/Pandora Screen Size/16001200.jpg


Instructions

- Download the wallpaper for your screen size above (save it anywhere)
- Set the image as your wallpaper
- Open the app you want, and drag/change its size until it fits within the area.
- Play around/test it.

_______

If you have a different resolution to the ones above, just ask and I'll add it.
 
Why separate images?

Just take the smallest of them and set your wallpaper to "center".

Or "Tile" for that matter.
 
One technique I have used to get a feel for the pandora screen resolution is to use VNC.

I start a vncserver with the resolution 800x480, and then connect to it and launch whatever apps I want.

For example:

vncserver -geometry 800x480 :1

vncviewer :1
 
If you use Linux you can change the screen resolution to 800x480 pretty easily.

pandorasizepreviewoe2.png
 
This is a flawed test, but fixable. Yes you have 800x480 on the Pandora, but the pixels are much smaller than on a desktop so everything will need to be larger or it will be unreadable.

An average desktop screen is around 85 - 100 dpi. Pandora's screen is 217 dpi. A 9pt font that takes 12 pixels on your desktop will take 27 pixels on the Pandora.

To fix your test, put those screenshots into The Gimp and resize it to 3.69x2.77 inches (355x266 on a 96dpi screen). Here's the last one fixed:

pandaog9.png


You'd be able to make out the details on the Panda if you squinted, but the sizes are clearly not ideal.
 
I took that image, put it on my 605, and displayed it in full screen mode. Everything on it is readable, no squinting, and from more than a foot away. I'd take a picture of it if I could find my camera.
 
Yigguth said:
I'm just going to leave this here
screensde3.png

Oh come on this is very misleading! The iphone black box is bigger than my acyual iphone and the Pandora screen half the size of my laptop screen.
 
Actual resolution is only half the issue. Size is the second and equally important factor. The comparison chart is rather misleading.

The most accurate test appears to be Phrosty's as you get a feel for what content will fit AND the usability of that content.
 
don't forget - most apps will be tweaked to run on the (relatively) low-res screen (compared to a desktop machine). you'll probably want to reduce your system's text size somewhat, hmm...

about the size/resolution thing: i believe text sizes should stay the same or be not much larger (talking in pixels) as 800x480 4.3" is quite small but the Pandora will be much closer to your eyes than a desktop screen. when testing out apps

the resized 800x480 picture is misleading because it's been resized DOWN and as such loses resolution/pixels! you need an screen with the same actual pixel density for a fair comparison, meh.
 
Ok, so I have a program that won't let me make it that small cause there's too many icons on the toolbar, and I can't change the toolbar. Will that cause a problem if it gets ported to a p&|a ? :huh:
 
Soulcast said:
Ok, so I have a program that won't let me make it that small cause there's too many icons on the toolbar, and I can't change the toolbar. Will that cause a problem if it gets ported to a p&|a ? :huh:
If it get ported some dev will have a look to the code, so if he is smart, he will remove most toolbar and add the missing menu entries.
 
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