The British and Commonwealth countries were hardly better with their foolscap and legal sizes, it was a big mess.
The A sizes, A4 etc., and the B sizes for posters and art are significant step forward because of their ISO standardization and widespread adoption
However, from my perspective, it's not perfect, especially so at the 'edges'. For example the width of A7 shirt-pocket size notebooks of the spiral-bound flip-over variety are just too narrow to use comfortably, here the standard breaks down.
Before ISO standardization notebooks of this type were often wider and easier to use, also they were commonly available.
The A sizes, A4 etc., and the B sizes for posters and art are significant step forward because of their ISO standardization and widespread adoption
However, from my perspective, it's not perfect, especially so at the 'edges'. For example the width of A7 shirt-pocket size notebooks of the spiral-bound flip-over variety are just too narrow to use comfortably, here the standard breaks down.
Before ISO standardization notebooks of this type were often wider and easier to use, also they were commonly available.