16:9 is an anti-pattern
Written , a 4 minute read
I really don't like 16:9 format, despite being to young (and too bad at remembering things) to really compare it to 4:3 format. Despite this I often wish that I would, especially while using larger laptops then my 12.5" ThinkPad that is basically the size of A4 paper.
4:3 - focused productivity
At university I had an opportunity to use 4:3 monitors (sadly they are only few compared to maybe a hundred of widescreens) and they are great for really focused single file work like quick script or last minute changes before assignment is due. Reading documents on them is really nice, giving few more rows of text before scroll and lack of distractions on the side (or ability to put them there).
4:3 is also a superior format for PowerPoint like presentations. It forces presentation creator to restrict the amount of text and keep the focus really centered in one place. It really bugs me that despite usage of 4:3 projectors at my university most people use 16:9 format which makes presentations less readable not only due to poor space management but also by smaller area that projector offers.
21:9 - productivity through multitasking
When I first heard about ultrawide monitors, I was skeptical to put it nicely. Who needs this much room, games not really supported it and this curvature looked ridiculous.
Then when I get to try one at my job and fell in love immediately - a lot of my new love was found in the first real task that I have gotten - a little bit complicated merge of the current codebase with upstream, where our branch was over 2 years behind. The ability that 21:9 gives with 3 panes of code side by side (our code, upstream, merge result) was perfect for the job. Without switching windows or any other distractions I could see and compare my merge changes with both of the sources giving me better productivity and confidence in what I was doing in unfamiliar code.
Another common window layouts are 2/3 for code editor (with two panes) and 1/3 for documentation or running application logs, code and documentation.
However, there were some drawbacks that I have noticed: with stacking window manager like KDE or MS Windows I often have more junk left before since there is now a place that I can drag windows literally out of sight. Also some of the fullscreen applications really aren't supposed to run in this aspect ratio - I often then switch them to my laptop screen.
Also this is the aspect ratio more suited for movies.
16:9 - TV and laptops
The titular one, a reflection of the needs that computers today are meant to satisfy - as entertainment devices for TV and games. I really can't argue against it - this website is a statement of my addiction to TV. Despite this I don't think that this job is the one that should influence the design the most - we are used to having black bars when watching movies and some of the TV that aspires to this movie like experience. Especially when we often have dedicated devices for TV consumption like TVs and projectors.
On the other hand I really like the design of my ThinkPad x270 and really don't mind that it has a 16:9 aspect ratio that could only be improved to 16:10 by ditching the builtin camera which I expect is important for the general market since laptop manufacturers didn't cut it to save the costs. Great solution would be to use pop up cameras from smartphones. Unfortunately in 2024 they are pretty much dead.
Conclusion
21:9 is great, 16:10 is preferable for laptops but my love for my ThinkPad blinds me and makes me think that 16:9 sometimes can be cool too. Also I found this nice site so if you didn't really get access to the various aspect ratios you can see how they compare and get yet another useless opinion that occupies your mind!