Hi, While developing plugins (with nice looking output on all device orientations) I come across some issues to get this done. I hope to get some answers on this one. If you create an app, are you creating this for: 1) Small screen Portrait Small screen Landscape Small screen Both Orientations Big screen Portrait Big screen Landscape Big Screen Both Orientations Both Small and Big screens (please give device orientation) 2) If you create apps for both orientations, are you willing to add a lot of more work (filling in more advanced properties) to accomplish this? With the responses I hope to get more insight in what users want and how to develop new plugins (and I think it's usefull information for all developers). Thanks in advance for responding, Best Regards, Danny

Some issues? iPhone and iPad are totally different animals. Cats and Dogs in design that live together in the same house/os. And the flood of Android tablets/device sizes.... The fact that Instagram is still only an iPhone APP amazes me. And slow to even make it to Android platform... A PHOTO app that surely could take massive advantage of that monster screen real estate, but still just a single 'design' of an iphone app? There's a reason. It works and if you changed it now... I also think developers/designers are in no hurry to speed the process when you look at it from cost. I like having a difference to try and charge. Veteran Designers and Techies totally get it. I take it project by project. I have downloaded ipad and iphone only controls and code. If i need it for both then i will find it. For the most part currently I do not bother with the large device BT settings. Iphone only and let it stretch unless I'm designing it to look good on ipad. But I'm leaning more tword it and esp curious if there is a 7" on the way, that will be HUGE and interested to see if that is categorized as a small or large device... Websites never have looked the same on different os and resolutions, and geting worse. Its just part of the territory to expect issues and deal with them as needed. ROTATE however - I can almost control it screen by screen now, except for same screen types. I do pay VERY close attention to rotation.

@atrain.... Are you familiar with how to lock an app in portrait mode only but still only videos to play in landscape? I can lock the app in portrait mode just fine but all my videos play in portrait and can't rotate. I only ask because you mentioned you have experience with rotate!

I generally design for both landscape and portrait on both devices. It's definitely more work, and I have to get a bit creative to make sure splash screens work with other backgrounds depending on layout, etc. Depending on the project, I may start out building only for iPhone, then once that works well, add the iPad-specific graphics and controls. On other projects, I build both versions simultaneously. The only caveat now is with the iPad retina. building a couple of my apps as universal with retina support is making the downloads quite large and I may move toward separating the iPhone and iPad apps. Hopes this helps.

Good discussion here. I'll add some thoughts... I think most of us are both users and makers..unlike our customers. Customers are generally users only and don't care much about anything other than their own device. With that said, a customer will almost always appreciate a version built specifically for their device if it means it will be of higher quality. Example: I would rather have an iPhone only version of something (I use iPhone and iPad) than have a universal app that was mediocre on both. But, as a developer, I do appreciate the value of creating one app that will work on both (all?) platforms. Heck, that was one of the biggest drivers of buzztouch in the first place! But, that was already years ago and things change must faster than any of us ever plan on. Android, geez, won't bother getting into that one, a nightmare on designers is an understatement! Anyway, it's my opinion that it boils does to the type of app. The way I see it, there are three core types of apps. Content, Game, Utility. Content Apps: Almost always BETTER when they are universal. I say this because the core value is the content, not the layout. In these types of apps, it's usually a good idea to use graphics that don't have to scale. Things like abstract designs (look at the standard desktop graphics on your computers, they are abstract, not detailed) that don't care what screen size they are on. I like making huge (dimensions, not file size) graphics for backgrounds that will cover the screen on anything and don't like making different graphics for different sized devices. One larger graphic is usually lighter and more flexible than two (or three) graphics, one for each device. Game Apps: In almost all cases, games should be different for each device type. The core value is the game itself and not the content. Few games have dynamic content. Most games have all the content baked in. Because of this it makes sense to do the extra work to make different version because the updates are less frequent. And, because it's a game, the graphics generally have to be "perfect" or the entire effect is lost. Utility Apps: A company with 5 employees that use an internal app to do something, or "real estate tool" or whatever the utility is almost always HAVE to be unique for each device. Why? Because the value of the app is the utility, the functionality, the time saving aspect (the plumber taking photos of the broken pipe to magically send to the office) and not the fact that it runs on ten different gadgets. In most cases, the utility is lost if it's not perfect for the device, similar to games, it has to be perfect or it's not nearly as valuable. We've been pondering the idea of "small and large device settings" for awhile and wondering if it's even worth it. Heck, it's not as easy as it sounds (like we all know). It could be that the control panel would be much easier to use, and the code far more efficient, and the plugins much easier to make if the app owner knew concretely what they were making (what type of device they targeted). And, keep in mind, if we did ever make any big changes like this to the control panel, it would be far easier to "click a button and make a version for a bigger device." Like a "copy app" routine we've all been wondering about. And, for plugin developers, it could mean better products, happier customers, and more money (multiple version of the same plugin for different devices could be sold to app owners separately). Lastly, and I've heard of this lots. It's sometimes a giant waste of time to work out an app that will work nicely on all devices if the app doesn't see any volume. In cases like this, wouldn't it be nicer to save a bunch of time by making it only for one device if you knew it was going to fail anyway? If it's successful, roll out the next version. If it's not (on the first and only device you targeted), you could move on to the next app without worrying about making the same app, that nobody uses anyway, work on all sorts of gadgets. Why bother, right? If the crystal ball told you it was going to be used in very very low volume in the first place, you'de probably only do one version from the start! LOL Checking for uploaded plugins that need approval.....

Hi All Great info here. Thanks for taking the time to write down the experiences. @david thanks for the detailed explanation. This all really helps to make decisions..... Best Regards, Danny

Hi I cannot control whether users use big devices or little devices but I can control if they use my app portrait or landscape. So I always design for little devices and make sure the design can look good on big devices too, especially when talking Apple. This can be a bit of a pain as Apple are picky, but ultimately it makes for a better user experience and I found out on one of my free apps, for some reason, more of the advertising revenue was from iPad users. In answer to @Davids question 'pondering the idea of "small and large device settings" for awhile and wondering if it's even worth it' I would say a resounding *yes*; having the control in the plugins definitely helps when putting together iPad and iPhone menus. After devices, I always do portrait but I don't always do landscape, especially if I don't see the benefit of a screen rotation on the user experience. Hope my answer is in time, better late than never...

AlanMac, Thanks for your input. It's never too late... Best Regards, Danny

Hey, as I user, I love to have apps that are compatible with both devices. And I do see great games and great utility apps that are universal and work perfectly on each device, they sometimes even have little differences depending on the device, but its the same app. So I wouldn't totaly agree with David on this one. Im talking on apps like Logmein Ignition, one app for both devices and its perfect. So I'm not in the opinion that it has to be dedicated to one device to be perfect. Probably games is the exception, even there, games like Death Rally look great in both devices, and again just one app. Said this, I always like to make apps for both devices, and would like more options to optimize both devices and orientation. Im actually having a problem with orientations, but thats a new thread. So this is me. Cheers.

Hi MadRod, I appreciate you comment on this one. Thanks. But what would you say about this: 1 you can create an ABSOLUTELY amazing looking app that only supports portrait view 2 you can create a LESS amazing looking app that supports portrait AND landscape What would you prefer? Best Regards, Danny

I agree, with the #1 @PSMdanny .. i create for universal and normally unless it is landscape based, it is totally locked to portrait!

Definetly an Absolutely amazing app only in portrait.

for sure - amazing app in portrait vs a shoddy app for both devices. @pikpocket/madrod the secret to controlling rotation is in this thread: http://www.buzztouch.com/forum/thread.php?tid=AC9F90E72962E3E7595AAAF&command=isSearching&currentPage=1&topicTitle=orientation&createdBy=&repliedBy=&minViews=-1&maxViews=-1&minReplies=-1&maxReplies=-1&forumCategory= it's not PERFECT because it does work by SCREEN TYPE - but it works and it's a final touch that I add to every app. there's always some sacrifice somewhere.... and it's too bad Aescleah is not @ here anymore, the guys posts were just incredible. find more, the guy is a brilliant coder.