The End of Windows XP is in September 2017

Well, if we go with Microsoft's definition of 'End of Support' for Windows XP, it is already dead with no support from the last 2-3 years. But, what about the numerous PCs still running the operating system? The OS is still running really well on my office workstation and without ever encountering a security issue or even a hardware (i.e. device driver) problem. In addition, Microsoft has continued to provide critical security updates for Windows XP from time to time.

Mostly those who are still using Windows XP are on older hardware and do not even intend to use this OS on newer hardware. And, with nearly 15 years of security patches and service packs, I believe Windows XP must be one of the most secure OS out there. Most security problems that occur are due to human error and not a magical problem with the software/hardware. Its basics of not opening suspicious email attachments, or not giving out your passwords, and such. Just basic precautions are required to hold off major security issues.

Even then the OS has aged, not due to itself, but due to hardware/software vendors deciding not to support it. To me, the work of an OS is to run the end user software on the underlying hardware. Till the OS has the device drivers of the underlying hardware and the software vendors are supporting the OS, till then the OS will not be obsolete. This was going really well for Windows XP, until Microsoft decided to push its unsuccessful OS namely Windows 8 down the throat of its user base. We all know what happened with Windows 8, it got decimated in a couple of years. But, even then for profit, greed, money, for greater good of its overlords, Microsoft made a pact with hardware vendors to stop making device drivers for Windows XP and only support Windows 10, the new version of Windows 8 but without the full screen start menu.
This was the turning point, the death knell, the nail in the coffin for Windows XP on newer hardware. Only the old legacy hardware are now where Windows XP will work. Now what happened is that the software vendors also decided to abandon this OS.

But still, even now, most software still do work on Windows XP. What is the most required software that you use daily on the OS? For me, its the browser and office suite. On the browser front, the latest bundled browser in Windows XP is Internet Explorer 8, which is old and not well supported by most of the websites. The two main browsers currently are Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. First Google Chrome stopped support and now Mozilla Firefox has given September 2017 as the end of support date. To further elaborate the Google thing, Google has also made official that the sign in page for all Google services wont even open in older Google Chrome versions. So, till September 2017, that is when Mozilla Firefox end its support, you will be able to optimally/securely open websites. After September 2017, you will be left with no other option but to upgrade Windows or jump to another supported OS.

On the office suite front, the LibreOffice team has announced that they are dropping support for Windows XP from version 5.4 of its office suite. The current 5.3 version has its last update in October 2017. This is near to the end of support date of Mozilla Firefox. So, by September 2017, LibreOffice would also have its near end in Windows XP.

What are the options left: You could jump to Windows 10, but this will cost you dearly (in money). Or, you could have a go at the various Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) OS. In the FLOSS options, you could go with:
For super stability and mission critical OS - CentOS
For a well rounded OS - Ubuntu (and its various derivatives - I suggest Peppermint OS)
For casual use - Manjaro

Get 24 Linux Games (Steam) for $1 (~ 65 INR) (Offer Ends 22 May 2017)

Copy Pasting a recent article from the omgubuntu website below (original at: http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2017/04/dollar-forever-bundle)

Fancy giving your Steam library a big ol’ boost? Well, if you have a dollar to spare, you can.

26 Steam games — 24 of which support Linux — are being offered in the Bundle Stars Dollar Forever Bundle (https://www.bundlestars.com/en/bundle/dollar-forever-bundle)

Yup, you can bag 26 official Steam keys for the teeny tiny price tag of $1 USD (£0.95/€1.09).

The below table lists all the 24 games in the bundle that are available on Linux:

Name	Short Description	Genres	Modes	Features	Linux System Requirements	User Reviews & Release Date
The Dweller	The Dweller is a puzzle game where you play as the MONSTER! It's time to get rid of all those pesky archaeologists snooping around in your lair. SCARE them, CRUSH them, DEVOUR them! ELIMINATE THE INTRUDERS!	Casual Indie Simulation Strategy	Single-player	Steam Achievements Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 14.04.5 64 bit Processor: 1.0 GHz Processor Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: nVidia GeForce 6200, ATI/AMD Radeaon HD2400 XT Storage: 200 MB available space	User reviews: RECENT: Very Positive (13 reviews) OVERALL: Very Positive (135 reviews) Release Date: 20 May, 2016
Surfingers	Surf as far as you can. Through the oceans, caves, snowy hills and deserts full of sand.	Action Casual Indie	Single-player Multi-player	Cross-Platform Multiplayer Local Co-op Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Stats Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 1.0 GHz Processor Graphics: nVidia GeForce 6200, ATI/AMD Radeaon HD2400 XT	User reviews: OVERALL: Very Positive (254 reviews) Release Date: 28 Jan, 2016
BlackSmith HIT	BlackSmith HIT – Hit the iron when it is hot! And show who is the real blacksmith!	Action Casual Indie	Single-player Multi-player	Online Multi-Player Local Multi-Player Shared/Split Screen Cross-Platform Multiplayer Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: openGL 2.1 Compatible Storage: 200 MB available space	User reviews: RECENT: Mixed (13 reviews) OVERALL: Very Positive (164 reviews) Release Date: 6 Aug, 2016
Fly O'Clock	Fly O’Clock is tiny, highly-addictive single & online multiplayer arcade endless jumper with innovative one-touch mechanics and unique pixel-art graphics.	Action Casual Indie	Single-player	Shared/Split Screen Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Stats Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 1.0 GHz Processor Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: nVidia GeForce 6200, ATI/AMD Radeaon HD2400 XT Storage: 200 MB available space	User reviews: OVERALL: Very Positive (147 reviews) Release Date: 9 Jul, 2016
Timberman	Become a Timberman, chop wood and avoid the branches. Almost 30 million players could not be wrong - featured as one of the best casual games.	Action Casual Indie	Single-player Multi-player	Cross-Platform Multiplayer Local Co-op Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 1.0 GHz Processor Graphics: nVidia GeForce 6200, ATI/AMD Radeaon HD2400 XT	User reviews: RECENT: Very Positive (96 reviews) OVERALL: Very Positive (3,027 reviews) Release Date: 19 Sep, 2015
Risky Rescue	Risky Rescue is a demanding arcade game with flat design graphics and innovative controls. Fly a helicopter and do dangerous missions rescuing people.	Action Casual Indie	Single-player Multi-player	Cross-Platform Multiplayer Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 1.0 GHz Processor Graphics: nVidia GeForce 6200, ATI/AMD Radeaon HD2400 XT	User reviews: OVERALL: Very Positive (165 reviews) Release Date: 20 Feb, 2016
Roll'd	Enter the world of Roll'd where rolling comes in at a new degree.	Action Casual Indie Racing	Single-player Multi-player	Cross-Platform Multiplayer Local Co-op Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 1 GB RAM Graphics: OpenGl 2.1 compatible Storage: 1 GB available space	User reviews: OVERALL: Very Positive (111 reviews) Release Date: 15 Apr, 2016
Frederic: Resurrection of Music	Frederic Chopin – a long time deceased classical compositor – returns back from beyond the grave to fight intense musical duels. In his way stand some of the worlds greatest pop stars charmed with enormous profits that wild commercialization…	Action Casual Indie	Single-player	Steam Achievements Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Hard Drive: 2 GB available space	User reviews: OVERALL: Very Positive (546 reviews) Release Date: 16 May, 2014
Frederic: Evil Strikes Back	Frederic - Evil Strikes Back - The Bigger, Better, More Awesome sequel. Great new tracks. Great new locations. Great new features. Great new story.	Action Casual Indie	Single-player	Steam Achievements Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Hard Drive: 2 GB available space	User reviews: OVERALL: Very Positive (424 reviews) Release Date: 24 May, 2014
Frederic: Resurrection of Music Director's Cut	New version of cult game with new levels and exclusive Steam online multiplayer! Frederic Chopin – a long time deceased classical compositor – returns back from beyond the grave to fight intense musical duels.	Action Casual Indie	Single-player Multi-player	Cross-Platform Multiplayer Steam Achievements Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Stats Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Storage: 2 GB available space	User reviews: RECENT: Mostly Positive (14 reviews) OVERALL: Mostly Positive (92 reviews) Release Date: 22 Apr, 2016
Teddy Floppy Ear - Mountain Adventure	Teddy Floppy Ear is a main character of series of adventure games for the children, based on the on famous Polish cartoon. Send your kid onto an unforgettable journey with the world’s most charming bear!	Adventure Casual Indie	Single-player	Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Graphics: OpenGl 2.1 compatible	User reviews: OVERALL: Very Positive (265 reviews) Release Date: 10 Jan, 2015
Teddy Floppy Ear - Kayaking	Based on a famous Polish cartoon, Teddy Floppy Ear stands out as a great entertainment for children. Prepared by an experienced team, Teddy Floppy Ear – Kayaking mixes fun adventure game with a healthy dose of learning, perfect for young minds. Send your kid onto an unforgettable journey with the world’s	Adventure Casual Indie	Single-player	Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Graphics: OpenGl 2.1 compatible	User reviews: OVERALL: Very Positive (177 reviews) Release Date: 17 Jan, 2015
Teddy Floppy Ear - The Race	People of Animalville got a carting fever and you must help one of them reach for the championship. Take the wheel, choose a kart, decide which character from 'Teddy Floppy Ear’ universe you want, and start the wild ride!	Indie Racing Simulation Sports	Single-player	Local Co-op Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Graphics: OpenGl 2.1 compatible	User reviews: OVERALL: Mostly Positive (415 reviews) Release Date: 23 May, 2015
Millie	A joyful, casual puzzle game that will tease both your wits and your memory!	Action Casual Indie	Single-player	Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Graphics: OpenGl 2.1 compatible	User reviews: OVERALL: Very Positive (351 reviews) Release Date: 3 Apr, 2014
8infinity	8infinity (8 infinity) is a dynamic and rhythm game where the player reaches eights “8” - levels of infinity.	Action Casual Indie	Single-player Multi-player	Shared/Split Screen Cross-Platform Multiplayer Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: nVidia GeForce 6200, ATI/AMD Radeaon HD2400 XT Storage: 200 MB available space	User reviews: OVERALL: Mostly Positive (41 reviews) Release Date: 24 Sep, 2016
Sparkle 2 Evo	Control the evolution with the touch of your finger. Climb your way through the evolutional ladder. Start as a little organism and transform into a magnificent aquatic being. Explore the abyss in search of nutritional elements. Attack other species whenever you run out of other food sources.	Action Casual Indie Simulation	Single-player	Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Partial Controller Support Steam Cloud	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 180 MB RAM Graphics: OpenGl 2.1 compatible Hard Drive: 180 MB available space	User reviews: RECENT: Very Positive (10 reviews) OVERALL: Mostly Positive (1,460 reviews) Release Date: 20 Nov, 2011
Sparkle 3 Genesis	Step into the amazing world of Sparkle – a surreal ocean, where life is thriving and conditions are perfect to make an evolutionary leap.	Action Casual Indie Simulation	Single-player	Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: OpenGl 2.1 compatible Hard Drive: 300 MB available space	User reviews: OVERALL: Mixed (222 reviews) Release Date: 25 Apr, 2015
Sparkle ZERO	Many organisms fight for resources and the opportunity to evolve. Be one of them, start from ZERO and become the best, the biggest and the most efficient of them all. Become the ultimate sparkle.	Action Indie Simulation	Single-player	Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Storage: 100 MB available space	User reviews: OVERALL: Mixed (109 reviews) Release Date: 15 Mar, 2016
Shut Eye	Keep her calm. Keep her safe. Keep her in the light.	Action Adventure Casual Indie	Single-player	Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: openGL 2.1 Compatible Storage: 300 MB available space	User reviews: OVERALL: Mixed (18 reviews) Release Date: 1 Oct, 2016
The Mahjong Huntress	Embark on a mysterious quest in search of the missing groom, Charles Gilbertworth, solve riddles, encounter supernatural creatures and ghosts - all while solving relaxing and fun Mahjong puzzles with innovative gameplay mechanics.	Adventure Indie Strategy	Single-player	Steam Achievements Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Storage: 2 GB available space	User reviews: OVERALL: Mixed (56 reviews) Release Date: 26 May, 2016
The Final Take	Relive dark footage recorded from the perspective of multiple characters in this unique first person horror.	Adventure Indie	Single-player	Steam Achievements Full controller support Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: openGL 2.1 Compatible Storage: 1 GB available space	User reviews: OVERALL: Mixed (122 reviews) Release Date: 17 Jun, 2016
The Dolls: Reborn	In the darkness they sing in the darkness they sway. The toys that had been swept away want to play, And you are now the toy…	Indie Simulation	Single-player	Steam Achievements Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Storage: 2 GB available space	User reviews: OVERALL: Mixed (91 reviews) Release Date: 26 May, 2016
16bit Trader	Take revenge on your father’s killer!	Adventure Casual Indie RPG Strategy	Single-player	Steam Achievements Steam Trading Cards Steam Cloud Steam Leaderboards	Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Graphics: nVidia GeForce 6600, ATI/AMD Radeaon HD2400 XT	User reviews: OVERALL: Mostly Negative (332 reviews) Release Date: 5 Jun, 2015
Iesabel	In the times of darkness, only the mightiest of heroes can save the world. Stand out against the evil all by yourself in epic single player mode. Swarms of bloodthirsty monsters, loads of epic gear to collect, dozens of skills to obtain. Grab your sword and fling yourself into action now!	Action Indie RPG	Single-player		Minimum: OS: Ubuntu 12.4 Processor: 2 GHz Memory: 2 GB RAM Graphics: OpenGl 2.1 compatible Storage: 2 GB available space Recommended: Graphics: GeForce 8800	User reviews: OVERALL: Mostly Negative (369 reviews) Release Date: 7 Jul, 2013

Some Statistics:

Of these 24 games:

• 12 games have an 'Overall' rating of "Very Positive"
• 4 games have an 'Overall' rating of "Mostly Positive"
• 6 games have an 'Overall' rating of "Mixed"
• 2 games have an 'Overall' rating of "Mostly Negative"

Also, out of these 24 games, 3 games have the 'Recent' rating of "Very Positive".
The games that have either 'Mixed' rating or 'Mostly Negative' rating are mostly of the 'Horror' genre.

The game 'Timberman' has the most number of reviews (3,027 reviews) and the game has a "Very Positive" rating.
The second most reviewed game is 'Sparkle 2 Evo' with 1,460 review. This game has a "Mostly Positive" rating.

This bundle consists of a few full series of games.

The 'Teddy Floppy Ear' series is included. I believe this series is for the kids.

• Teddy Floppy Ear - Mountain Adventure
• Teddy Floppy Ear - Kayaking
• Teddy Floppy Ear - The Race

Peppermint OS, a worthy competition to LinuxMint

I was using LinuxMint 17.3 Xfce 64-bit on my entry level notebook since the day I got the notebook, close to a year ago. I was tempted with the possibility of using the latest and greatest when the newer versions of the OS were available but all my tries ended in frustrations and I got back to LM 17.3.

But, there was a bad judgement in updating the OS. I update the software using the command line, always. This is one thing that I got from the old days of using Ubuntu, when the GUI just used to freeze when updating or result in incomplete update which resulted in an unusable OS.

There was an update that showed in the LM 17.3 GUI update tool. Some system specific update, and that too in green color, which meant that the update was trusted. So, I tried to update the system from the command line. But, in there this update was held back. So, I updated using the GUI updater and from that day the boot splash would just blink rapidly until the login screen appeared. This blinking would stop when pressing the brightness control buttons on the notebook.

This resulted in a bad experience, since most of the time my notebook is used by my family members and they were not impressed by this behavior. I tried many things to rectify this problem. The closest I got was to show the grub menu. This eliminated the blinking but added more steps to open the OS. And, in the grub menu, the required OS entry was not the default, we would have to press the up arrow key to highlight the required entry and then press Enter.

So, when LM 18.1 Xfce was released I jumped to the opportunity to install the new OS. But the blinking problem was present in the new LM too. This just left a bad impression on me about LM upgrades. Well, since LM 17.3 was amazingly stable and the newer upgrades did not do it justice.

Now, I was looking for a worthy alternative. After extensive searching and reading reviews for many distros, I selected two distros: one was Peppermint 7 and the other a arch based distro. Why Peppermint? Because, it is Ubuntu based and has a very similar set of GUI and applications to LM.

Peppermint 7 uses a combination of Xfce and LXDE as its GUI. It uses the Xfce whisker menu and panels. The other thing is that it uses the same file explorer, Nemo, of LinuxMint. So the familiarity was already there. Plus I am more comfortable in using Ubuntu than other distros.

Installing Peppermint 7:
As in all UEFI notebooks, while installing, you are required to create a efi partition for installing the bootloader. My notebook hosts just one OS. The disk partitioning that I did was:
2048 MiB for efi | 8192 MiB for Swap | 25600 MiB for root | remaining for the home partition
The bootloader will go in the efi partition.

The installation takes its own sweet time to complete. At one time I thought to close the installation and go to the next distro, but then the installation progressed a little and I let it run its course. After installation, the system is very fast and smooth.

Applications:
Peppermint OS lets you combine online web applications with the desktop. And, by default, the application set is minimal. Even LibreOffice is not installed by default. During installation, the install wizard does ask you to install the updates and media codecs, but I did not select these options at install time. After install I got around 150 MiB worth of updates and around 80 MiB of codecs (+ 30 something MiB adobe flash). After this I installed the crosscore fonts and google chrome.

End:
It has been a short time that I have started to use Peppermint 7, but I am already liking its style and subtleness. The blinking issue that was in LM 18.1 and the updated LM 17.3 is not present in Peppermint 7. The Ubuntu base along with LM based software allows me to use the system in a familiar manner.

Keep the cold away with this simple recipe

Immunity Boosting Carrot-Ginger Juice - http://detoxinista.com/
Cold and flu has gripped many people in his winter season. So, I wanted to share a simple but very effective juice recipe that helps in speedy recovery.

I found this juice recipe at: http://detoxinista.com/2013/01/immunity-boosting-carrot-ginger-juice/

You can find more on this recipe at the website mentioned above.

I have copy/pasted the recipe below:

INGREDIENTS

• 5 large carrots
• 1 romaine heart
• 2 clementines, peeled
• ½ lemon, peeled
• 1-inch knob of fresh ginger
• SONY DSCAs always, feel free to adjust any ingredients to suit your personal tastes. If you'd like a sweeter juice, try adding a few more carrots, or a couple drops of liquid stevia, tasting as you go. Enjoy and stay well!

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Run all of the ingredients through a juicer, and drink immediately! For best results, use a masticating juicer, which handles leafy greens and delicate items, such as ginger and clementines, effortlessly.

Hope this helps. Have a healthy winter.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - Christmas Printables

'Tis the Season, said by today's Google Doodle and it is real close to be jolly and celebrate Christmas. Christmas is not just for a particular group of people as some may believe, it is a time to remember the Lord and be Thankful for all that you have got. It is a message which resonates through all groups of people.

Santa Claus, the fat man with dazzling glowing white mustache and beard and wearing all red (or blue) with some white, giving gifts to children, has become synonymous with Christmas. I do not know the history or myth of Santa Claus one bit. But I do know that Christmas is a time of Giving and we all can be Santa Claus to children and others.

And, the Internet is filled with lots of Santa Claus that have shared Printable and other Craft material for free especially for Christmas. I am listing a few here:

Nativity Set:
http://www.scrapbookscrapbook.com/free-printable-christmas-nativity.html

Paper Dolls:
http://krokotak.com/2012/11/christmas-themed-paper-dolls/

Houses:
http://printcolorfun.com/786/house-cutout-craft/

Christmas Tree:
http://www.funezcrafts.com/Easy-Christmas-Crafts-Folded-Paper-Christmas-Tree.html

Religious Symbols:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Religious_symbols-4x4.svg

Desktop Wallpaper:
http://hdw.eweb4.com/out/713883.html

Merry Christmas !!

And a Happy New Year !!

Best Learning Resources on the Python Computer Language

Sharing some Free Learning Resources on the Python Computer Language:

1. Python Tutorials on the Full Circle Magazine:
The Full Circle Magazine consists of a series on learning Python and they have recently released a compilation of all python articles till FCM#102. You can download this edition from this link: http://fullcirclemagazine.org/2016/01/01/python-collection-vol-1/

2. The Coder's Apprentice - Learning Programming with Python 3:

Another great free to download book for computer language beginners. Download this book from http://www.spronck.net/pythonbook/

3. Invent With Python

The http://inventwithpython.com website hosts links to the books by 'Al Sweigart'.

3.1 Automate the Boring Stuff with Python:

In this book you learn how to use Python in real life scenarios. This book is free to read at https://automatetheboringstuff.com

3.2 Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python

Book by the same author on programming games with Python. Read for free/download at http://inventwithpython.com/chapters/

3.3 Making Games with Python & Pygame

A sequel for the above book. Read for free/download at: http://inventwithpython.com/pygame/chapters/

3.4 Hacking Secret Ciphers with Python

Learn how ciphers work in this book. Read for free/download at: http://inventwithpython.com/hacking/chapters/

Get ready for Square(ish) Displays on Smartphones

Foldable smart phones are the next iteration in display technology. The latest news from the Apple camp is on a patent showing a foldable iPhone. Of course such gimmicks were seen earlier also by the likes of Samsung and many mockups by others too.

But now that the need and the market for bigger displays is on the rise, we can see the requirements for a foldable display. Smart phones of 5 inches have become the norm while 5.5 inches are the 'Max/Plus' companion of each smart phone. This trend will be taken even further by this years end when Oppo R9s series of phones will be released. The Oppo R9s is the base model with the size of 5.5 inches while the Oppo R9s Plus will be 6 inches.

So, there is definitely a trend to go larger. But the 'Bar' design can be used normally with one hand or even by using two hands at only so much size. Even the 5 inches models are hard to operate by just one hand and the 5.5 inches required you to use two hands to operate.

The solution is foldable displays. Now, foldable displays do sound a good solution to get bigger displays but they also pose a problem. What would the user use/see when the hold their phone. A phone of such a design will require additional screen(s) on the fold that will be facing the user. Also, the 16:9 ratio results in nearly a square when folded.

What is the most comfortable width our hand can hold without getting uncomfortable. Lets look at some of the prevailing sizes (considering only the display size and not the additional bezel):

(All sizes are in inches, bezel-less, and considers the Bar-Portrait 16:9 view)

Diagonal Size	Width of the Phone	Height of the Phone
4.0	2.0	3.5
4.5	2.2	3.9
5.0	2.5	4.4
5.5	2.7	4.8
5.7	2.8	5.0
6.0	2.9	5.2
6.4	3.2	5.6
6.8	3.3	5.9
7.0	3.4	6.1
8.0	3.9	7.0

In my opinion the most that we can hold for longer periods is around 3 inches and not more. Also, the average shirt's pocket is also around that size.

Also, we would fold the phone by its height in terms of the 'Bar/Portrait' view. This means we would kind off letting go of the Portrait view and use the phone only in the 'Landscape' view. Even when folded the display would be held such that opening the fold will show the 'Landscape' view.

So, if we consider 3 inches (width) to be the folded size and obviously the opened size will be 6 inches (width), what sort of dimensions are we looking at. Lets calculate. Remember that we now use the 'Landscape' 16:9 view.

Width when Folded	Width of the Phone	Height of the Phone	Diagonal Size
3.00	6.00	3.38	6.88

The above is the best dimensions.

Lets also consider the widths of today's phones and how would they translate in a foldable design:

Width when Folded	Width of the Phone	Height of the Phone	Diagonal Size
1.96	3.92	2.21	4.50
2.20	4.40	2.48	5.05
2.45	4.90	2.76	5.62
2.69	5.38	3.03	6.17
2.79	5.58	3.14	6.40
2.94	5.88	3.31	6.75
3.15	6.30	3.54	7.23
3.33	6.66	3.75	7.64
3.43	6.86	3.86	7.87
3.92	7.84	4.41	9.00

Lets also see the diagonal sizes when the phones will be folded:

Width when Folded	Height when folded	Diagonal Size
3.00	3.38	4.52

Width when Folded	Height when folded	Diagonal Size
1.96	2.21	2.95
2.20	2.48	3.31
2.45	2.76	3.69
2.69	3.03	4.05
2.79	3.14	4.20
2.94	3.31	4.43
3.15	3.54	4.74
3.33	3.75	5.01
3.43	3.86	5.16
3.92	4.41	5.90

In addition, when folded the display ratio is 1.125 which is very close to being a Square.

Hmm, so, will the folded design be worth it. At only one fold, as we can see above, the ideal size would result in only a 6.88 inch screen when opened. Isn't this size already available. There are many 7 inch voice calling tablets available and >6 inches phablets too.

In conclusion, I think we would require a triple fold or a roll design to get the most of such a design. Hmm, need to brush up on an Origami lesson.