Device Classes

From MobileDesign

The principle of class-based design implies a strong understanding of the devices upon which software user interfaces (sUI) will reside. In addition, the relationship between the devices, their hardware attributes and their operating systems may be best understood by their position within a device heirarchy.

The hardware attributes have been broken into two basic areas and are described here to reveal information in support of the Design Patterns:

[edit] User Interface Classes

User interface means hardware user interface (hUI), as opposed any sUI that will reside within the device and display on a screen. These include mostly input mechanisms, such as buttons or other selection mechanisms.

[edit] Hardware Classes

The hardware is the overall container in which the device resides. This includes display types and resolution, and the general interaction the user has with the phone, such as flipping or sliding.

Certain aspects of the hardware such as materials, size and shape are not listed here as they have no impact on the selection and design of sUI for the device.