Almost all business applications have horizontal menus and ribbons that take up a decent percentage of a landscape monitor instead of utilising the “spare” screen space on the left or right, and a taskbar usually sits at the bottom or top of the screen eating up even more space (yes I know this can be changed but it’s not the default).
Documents are traditionally printed/read in portrait which is reflected on digital documents.
Programmers often rotate their screens to be portrait in order to see more of the code.
Most web pages rarely seem to make use of horizontal real estate, and scrolling is almost universally vertical. Even phones are utilised in portrait for the vast majority of time, and many web pages are designed for mobile first.
Beyond media consumption and production, it feels like the most commonly used workplace productivity apps are less useful in landscape mode. So why aren’t more office-based computer screens giant squares instead of horizontal rectangles?
I don’t think widescreens exist “primarily for additional tasks in an office setting”. I think they’re the default because, as another user said, TVs were that ratio.
It’s weird that it’s fine for widescreens to have additional areas to the sides that aren’t used by many apps, but adding space vertically that would automatically be used by every office application isn’t fine.
Yes you can use two apps side by side, yes you can rotate your screen, but the software in general literally defaults to reducing that available space by putting the taskbar and menus where they are, while usually being full screen by default.
Saying “You’re using it wrong” is blaming the user for using the computer the way it was presented out of the box.
It’s also the way we’ve used computers for nearly fifty years and the way we interact with every other display in our lives. As examples almost no one uses less than the full wide of their TV, Smart Phone, or Tablet. There’s no reasons that computer displays should be any different and they weren’t until pretty recently.
Edit: Deleting this comment because I’m an idiot.
Perhaps I worded this poorly.
In an office settting; the primary use of a wide display is to have multiple tasks/windows open. An email your composing beside a document you’re referencing for example.
My main point here is the additional space is there for you when you want it, instead of being missing when it’s needed.
You’ve gotta cater to the lowest common denominator there unfortunately. Things like this are presented in a simple easy to understand format, so that as many people as possible can get started with minimal help. Some people excel and explore the limits of their systems and what they can do with it; others don’t get past ‘computer basics 101’ while using their computers for little more than a web browser.
“you’re using it wrong” is a bit harsh. What you’re doing isn’t wrong, more like “there’s more you could do to utilize the technology you have available”.
I think you might be missing the point though.
Not everyone needs to multitask in two apps simultaneously. In fact most of the time, most workers are only going to be working on a single application. If that application isn’t making full use of the widescreen, then saying “just fill that space with another app” doesn’t solve anything. In fact if anything, it potentially reduces the real estate the main app had.
Yes they now have two apps open, but they’re still only working on one. They don’t “need” the other one, so why not design the primary app or web page to more appropriately scale to the display?
It’s got absolutely fuck all to do with “what can the user do to better utilise the technology” and everything to do with UI design.
No, that’s when you just accept that there is additional space available to you for when (not if, WHEN) it becomes necessary.
Just because you don’t need it 100% of the time, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have it for when you do.
This makes no sense at all. UIs are justified in not making full use of a widescreen monitor because at some point someone might want to use another at the same time?
UIs are justified in not pointlessly expanding into space they have 0 use for; leaving it available for other actually useful applications.
When I go to the buffet, I take what I’m actually going to eat, leaving what I don’t need for others; I don’t just empty the table into a bag knowing full well I won’t eat it all.