4 ms·

Left aligned makes a ton of sense until you exceed a horizontal resolution of 2k or so. The web realized this ages ago - a left aligned page doesn't work at lar

by jjcm 5y ago

Left aligned makes a ton of sense until you exceed a horizontal resolution of 2k or so. The web realized this ages ago - a left aligned page doesn't work at large screen sizes. With the web it isn't as critical (often times we have a browser window smaller than our full screen), but for a taskbar that spans the full horizontal resolution, left aligned doesn't make sense when you have a 5k ultrawide. Screen sizes will continue to slowly increase, centering the taskbar is futureproofing for that.

wayneftw 5y ago
It doesn't matter what size the screen is when I want to reach the corners. I just slam my mouse to the lower left and I know exactly where it will be.
- Silhouette 5y ago
  Why is this downvoted? This is exactly the usability argument for having a bottom-left aligned Start menu, and it's based on robust evidence about how easily users can select controls of different sizes and in different places with a pointing device. If you have such a large screen that you can't quickly move your pointer to anywhere on it, I suggest that you have a bigger problem with your system than where your Start menu appears.
  - monocasa 5y ago
    Right? It's literally Fitt's Law, one of the first things we figured out for sure in UX. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law
- Too 5y ago
  Not that i disagree, but who actually clicks on the start menu using the mouse? Just use the Windows button on the keyboard where your left hand is likely resting already. Fun fact btw, in win 95 the border of the start button was not clickable, so slamming into the corner did not work because of that 2px border. Microsoft was proud of presenting this feature in later versions, don't remember if it was in 98, 2000 or XP.
  - birksherty 5y ago
    > but who actually clicks on the start menu using the mouse? Everybody except hn readers who live in their own bubble.
GordonS 5y ago
> Left aligned makes a ton of sense until you exceed a horizontal resolution of 2k or so. The web realized this ages ago I think you're comparing apples and oranges though - with web pages, the issues are readability and aesthetics, whereas with the taskbar it's that icons are where you expect them to be (when centred, they will move as you open more windows). IMO, a more apt comparison is the tabs of a browser, rather than the content the browser is showing.

by jjcm 5y ago

wayneftw 5y ago

It doesn't matter what size the screen is when I want to reach the corners. I just slam my mouse to the lower left and I know exactly where it will be.

Silhouette 5y ago
Why is this downvoted? This is exactly the usability argument for having a bottom-left aligned Start menu, and it's based on robust evidence about how easily users can select controls of different sizes and in different places with a pointing device. If you have such a large screen that you can't quickly move your pointer to anywhere on it, I suggest that you have a bigger problem with your system than where your Start menu appears.
- monocasa 5y ago
  Right? It's literally Fitt's Law, one of the first things we figured out for sure in UX. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitts%27s_law
Too 5y ago
Not that i disagree, but who actually clicks on the start menu using the mouse? Just use the Windows button on the keyboard where your left hand is likely resting already. Fun fact btw, in win 95 the border of the start button was not clickable, so slamming into the corner did not work because of that 2px border. Microsoft was proud of presenting this feature in later versions, don't remember if it was in 98, 2000 or XP.
- birksherty 5y ago
  > but who actually clicks on the start menu using the mouse? Everybody except hn readers who live in their own bubble.

GordonS 5y ago

> Left aligned makes a ton of sense until you exceed a horizontal resolution of 2k or so. The web realized this ages ago I think you're comparing apples and oranges though - with web pages, the issues are readability and aesthetics, whereas with the taskbar it's that icons are where you expect them to be (when centred, they will move as you open more windows). IMO, a more apt comparison is the tabs of a browser, rather than the content the browser is showing.