Monitors for People with Poor Eyesight? 258
tuxbeej writes "Just recently I've been told that I may be developing keratoconus, a non-inflammatory eye condition in which the normally round dome-shaped cornea progressively thins causing a cone-like bulge to develop (thanks, NKCF!). As a result, my eyesight will get worse and it's getting harder to see on a 15" monitor. Being 22 years old and studying MIS, I've been hoping to keep my eyesight for a long, long time. Anyway, I was in the market for a new monitor and I was curious to know if anyone has done shopping for a monitor intended for someone with bad eyesight? Are there any recommended sizes, features, brands? It seems like a generic question, but I'm curious to know if certain technologies have any advantages over another or if there is a site out there that handles info like this." We had an older article about CRT's vs. LCD's.
Why not one of the big LCD projector dealies? (Score:4, Informative)
Of course, the things make a racket.
Re:Why not one of the big LCD projector dealies? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Why not one of the big LCD projector dealies? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Why not one of the big LCD projector dealies? (Score:3, Insightful)
Does anyone know how often LCD projector bulbs need to be replaced?
Re:Why not one of the big LCD projector dealies? (Score:2)
Re:Why not one of the big LCD projector dealies? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Why not one of the big LCD projector dealies? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Why not one of the big LCD projector dealies? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Why not one of the big LCD projector dealies? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Why not one of the big LCD projector dealies? (Score:3, Interesting)
get a dual moniter one too... i know you wanted a new moniter but a new vid card is good too... anyway matrox cards are by far the clearest sharpest cards out there...
it will reduce eye strain AND their dual moniter cards have the option for low visibility functions such as a magnifier for the second moniter and the first one is the actual screen... anyway i would advice dual lcd's on a matrox G550 dual dvi [matrox.com]
Re:Why not one of the big LCD projector dealies? (Score:2)
Monitor (Score:2, Informative)
From my experience... (Score:5, Informative)
The flatness of the monitor works very well, since it cuts down on glare. And the nice size of the monitor lets you put some distance between you and it. If you run that big bugger in 1280x1024, you'll be doing fine.
Make sure you don't use the monitor in a darkened room often, that'll cause you problems, and if you wear glasses, it has a pretty good chance of giving you a headache. And if you sit near a window, you might want to get an anti-glare screen. Having bright spots, (either the monitor in a dark room, or glare on the screen) can cost you some vision, given enough time.
Re:From my experience... (Score:4, Funny)
Re:From my experience... (Score:2, Funny)
Another example... (Score:2)
Hello Darkness, My Old Fiend (Score:3, Informative)
Sony FD Trinitron (Score:5, Informative)
Do not be tempted to just run your video at low resolution. I would instead suggest running at a higher resolution, and use better fonts at a larger scale to read; this way they won't look so ragged. Also, anti-aliased fonts might be easier to look at as well.
Xmag (Score:2, Interesting)
old adage... (Score:4, Informative)
BIGGER IS BETTER.
go for at least 19" and use 1280x1024 res... 21" would probably be better if you can afford it. I seem to be able to read better off my laptop if the text is antialiased properly (a big "if" on linux, unfortunately--the new kde is awesome for this), but i haven't had the chance to compare to a flat-panel monitor that was worth a shit. I think part of the laptop's appeal (aside from portability) is that the screen is much easier to tilt and has a wider range.
Re:old adage... (Score:5, Interesting)
I find that with a large color monitor (or LCD) and my glasses I get a very anoying spherical aberrations which cause the colors to appear as if they weren't converging on the edges of the screen. I used to deal with this problem with a very large Blit like terminal [bell-labs.com] (letter sized, black/green, high res, designed by Pike & crew). Now I have a 1024x768 15" LCD.
I've found the best thing to keep my eyes sharp is long drives in the country where I can focus a long way away or flying around in small planes.
hmm (Score:5, Informative)
I was visiting one just a few months ago and I saw various information on computers and bad eyesight. They might be able to give you information of what you should look for and maybe they might have something that will help you use your computer.
I wouldn't mind a monitor that would fix my slight colour-blindness.
another thought (Score:2, Informative)
And bigger is always better...except for dot pitch...small is better there.
On another note with respect to bad eyesight...does anyone really use the high-contrast theme that comes with windows (the white on balck theme)?
Re:another thought (Score:3, Funny)
Actually, on one computer at work, I use the high contrast white scheme. Because the poor 2000 server happens to have a B&W monitor.
High Contrast (Score:2, Interesting)
It really has made using Windows a lot easier on my eyes over the past 6-7 years.
Re:another thought (Score:3, Funny)
Man, that thing was ugly.
Re:another thought (Score:2)
Seriously though, I think I was the only person in the world that liked "Black Leather Jacket".
Be positive! (Score:5, Funny)
So spend that money that you would have spent on a GeForce 4 and buy a large, flatscreen monitor.
Re:Be positive! (Score:2)
-- E.B. White
English response (Score:2, Funny)
I have it too. (Score:5, Informative)
I first tried hard contacts (to try to flatten the cornea) but just couldn't handle them, so I've stuck to glasses. I'm going to get a new perscription after I move (next month), after 4 years I definately need them. In my case at least having a lot of light helps.
Re:I have it too. (Score:2, Informative)
Me too... My specialist told me that the rigid contacts dont actually flatten the cornea as such (which is what I thought too) but rather combine with the cornea and the tear fluid inbetween to act as a sort of super-cornea
Luckily I dont contact lenses at all yet (the cone caused by the KC is below the center of my cornea and so doesn't affect my vision yet).
Re:I have it too. (Score:5, Informative)
I use a Hitachi SuperScan Pro 15" monitor, at 1280x1024, large fonts, and do rather well with it. A bigger monitor would be nice, but not necessary.
Hang in there. Keratoconus is not a death sentance. It's more an annoyance than anything else.
Re:I have it too. (Score:2)
Do persevere with gas permeable contacts. I went to a normal optician/optometrist from teens onwards, he spotted the keratonconus (both eyes) and gave me soft lenses. 13 years later thought I'd give GPs a try and the difference was amazing. Not only can I see the bottom line but they're more comfortable and easier to look after. In fact, I wonder if these soft ones, particularly the disposables, aren't something of a con...
Anyway, back to computers... I use an ancient 21" Dell screen, and (thanks to the link you gave!) I realize why I don't like the brightness cranked up... I used a dual LCD monitor setup at work for a while but didn't notice any improvement.
I sincerely hope that you don't have to struggle too much with reading aids - I was lucky in that I was sent to the best eye hospital around here (Moorfields in London) with a dedicated KC unit - and that once my hormones calmed down the condition didn't get any worse. Well, not so far (going on 39 now), fingers crossed eh?
Keep monitor farther away (Score:5, Interesting)
One thing I did was to get a short-depth monitor. I have a Viewsonic PS790, it's a 19" monitor but the front-to-back size is about that of a 15" monitor, so I can push it farther back on the table. Unfortunately they're not making them any more. Anyone know of a similar monitor still being made? (Eventually I'll go with an LCD, which I'll be able to push way back.)
you _might_ find some info/links off surgicaleyes (Score:2, Informative)
i have found the website http://www.surgicaleyes.org to be a good (although somewhat scary) source of info for all sorts of visually-impaired folks - ranging from surgically-induced blindness to keratoconus to corneal transplants.
check out the site - and the bulletin board - and dig around for some links on keratoconus sites and PK (corneal transplant) information.
there is a consensus that keratoconus can be put-off with a good pair of Rigid Gas-Permeable Contacts for quite some time.
also keep in mind you will bump into information about up-and-coming treatments for keratoconus - things like Keraform (an enzyme being developed to re-shape the myopic cornea) and other strange stuff.
anyhow, check it out (and dig around on their message board for strings like 'keratoconus' as well)
good luck!
(and by the way, i'm using RGP contacts to help read a 21" monitor set to about 1280x1024 - so don't rule out the well-fitted contact lens solution!)
increasing the font (Score:2, Interesting)
This page [grc.com] provides a demo of a font designed to be easy to read on TFT screens. I haven't used it extensively, but the demo seems to be a pretty clear improvement over arial 12-point.
Kerataconus (Score:4, Informative)
Anyway, since the transplant I have had to make adjustments to my computer using environment in order to keep my eyes sane - the single biggest improvement is using really, really big fonts that are anti-aliased. For some reason, I've also found that varying the hue of things (dark green text against beige backgrounds, etc) seems to make things easier to read. Also, though I'm sure this won't be an entirely popular suggestion, ever since I switched to Mac OSX from Linux, my eyes have improved dramatically. I have attributed it to the entirely antialiased environment, but it could easily be coincidence.
Good luck.
PS. The good news is that cornea transplants are among the most successful of transplant operations, with an average success rate of 92%. (should you need one).
Re:Kerataconus (Score:2)
Brightness adjustment is important, too! (Score:5, Informative)
I can't stand when people crank the brightness control up all the way on their monitors, thinking "brighter is better".
To get the maximum clarity and contrast possible with a given monitor, I recommend turning up the contrast control to around 100%. (Some monitors will draw small fonts a bit too thick or blocky like this. If so, back it off to 95% or even 90%, but probably not any lower than that.)
Then, when you have an image on your screen, you want to turn down the brightness control just far enough so the border around the image appears to be black/not lit up at all.
This combination should be much easier on the eyes. (Especially important when you're at the command line on a full screen text mode, where there's lots of black background.)
Re:Brightness adjustment is important, too! (Score:3, Informative)
To the original poster: As for advice on monitors...well, first I'd suggest checking with your optomitrist, as several others have said. They're best equipped to tell you at least how to avoid things that could strain or damage your eyes more than neccesary. Beyond that, I'm not sure how much advice I can give you, since I don't suffer from your particular condition.
Personally, I suffer from pretty serious nearsightedness. I'm not legally blind, but my vision is pretty bad without glasses. Anything up to a foot away is fine, after that, it degrades pretty quickly. I can read my jumbo alarm clock from across the room if I squint right. At work, I wear glasses when on the computer, but at home, I usually do without and just sit closer to the screen. Eyestrain has never been a problem for me...dunno why, though.
I have a 17" monitor (TTX 1787 for those who care
Another oddity I've noticed is that I cannot stand dark screens. Most people I know like darker screens and say that brighter monitors make their eyes hurt. I've always been the opposite way; dim monitors give me a headache, but bright ones are just fine. Go figure...
DennyK
Re:Brightness adjustment is important, too! (Score:2)
I don't know if these monitors are available seperately from the HP Pavillion PCs though.
Look for hardware magnifiers (Score:2, Interesting)
Back in 1990-91, I had a co-worker who had no central vision whatsoever. He had a special setup: a special card that magnified the image on his monitor. The output of a CGA card (remember this is 1990) went into the magnifier card, and the output of the magnifier card went to the monitor. The system included a document camera, which could display a magnified image of whatever document was placed under it, on the monitor.
He used two mice on the computer - one for the normal use of a mouse, and another mouse to control the magnification and panning of the hardware card. (Configuring the IRQs for the two mice, serial port, parallel printer, and two video cards was a bitch. Even more so to get Windows 3.0 to run in CGA!)
Today, of course, this system would need to be modernized - a minimum of 1024x768 is required for business, and any magnifier card would need to cope with the increased video bandwidth.
I can't remember what the system was called. Being over 10 years old, it's likely no longer in production in a usable form anyway. However, similar systems may exist. I would do a web search for speciality computer equipment for the visually impaired.
Re:Look for hardware magnifiers (Score:2)
Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:3, Troll)
Often when you get corrective lenses, they compensate for the near-sightedness (or whatever problem you are having) by making things appear closer. But that usually makes the problem worse. Most people I know with glasses say they got more and more nearsighted over time.
Anyway, the doc I saw gave me the opposite prescription -- lenses that made everything appear farther away (basically, reading glasses). I only wore them while reading or using a computer, or looking at stuff up close, but not at other times. My nearsightedness gradually got better, and eventually cleared up. My next eye test came up 20/20. Now, all these years later, my vision is still perfect. But if I ever forget to wear my reading glasses and use a computer or read a book for a couple of hours, my eyes get fatigued and I become nearsighted for a few hours or so. (And as I mentioned in my other reply, keeping the computer monitor farther away from my eyes also helps).
So a therapeutic approach may be better than a corrective approach, at least in some situations. (Probably not with the condition the submitter has, although I know nothing about that particular condition.)
Re:Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:2)
Re:Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:2, Informative)
I've got the same condition the article submitter has. With KC the treatments are either rigid contact lenses or cornea replacement surgery. Obviously the former is preferable to the later. (I actually got lucky and dont need any treatment yet). Glasses wont do a thing and you'll end up changing your prescription every other month.
Lots of good information (including a great forum) at www.kcenter.org [kcenter.org] but of course take everything you read online with a pinch of salt
Re:Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:5, Insightful)
Look, whoever asked this question--Slashdot is the LAST place where you should be getting medical advice, especially about something as critical as your eyesight. There is no fact here, no medical truths--a high moderation does NOT mean that that advice is better than any of the other crap on here.
Here's some advice you can really use: Get a second opinion and see as many eye specialists as you can. They're the bloody experts--not Slashdot's armchair doctor population who have little to no medical training and pure anecdotal "evidence" to prove that their methods work!
Run, don't walk, away from these comments if you value your eyesight at *all* and are having problems.
Shame, Slashdot--suggestions in here may do damage to your weaker-minded readership. Please don't run stories like this.
Re:Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:2)
"Shame, Slashdot--suggestions in here may do damage to your weaker-minded readership. Please don't run stories like this."
Ummm... that would be *the reader's* problem, not the editors'. I think you forgot to note the simple fact that the story was posted by the the editors, but "comments are owned by the poster."
This is a forum designed to allow people to swap experiences in all arenas related to technology, science, etc. This is not a censorship-prone environment, and people generally understand it's okay to speak your mind (at the risk of moderation, of course). Anyone who would take comments in this story as actual medical advice are about as idiotic as those who interpret a discussion regarding law here as "legal advice." In other words, if you're dumb enough to do that, you deserve what you get.
If society filtered all our information for us, and delivered it in neat little pre-digested packages for our consumption (oh, wait, AOL...), we'd be much worse off as a whole. Instead, we strive to break down communications barriers, allowing each person to decide for him/herself what's right and reasonable. Please keep this in mind before encouraging censhorship in the name of "protecting people from themselves."
Re:Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:4, Informative)
My interest here is *not* in asking people for medical advice - that's why we have doctors. I wanted to find out if anyone had seen studies or had suggestions for display technologies that would be easier on my eyes. Since I had not found anything on my own, I posted the question here, since I believed there's probably a lot of people in the tech community who are young, have bad eyesight, and are seeking the same kind of solutions I am.
You're aboslutely right, though - don't take any medical advice from a forum. Always take that advice to your doctor and get their opinion. Then get *another* opinion. Especially when it comes to your eyes. We only get two, and we don't get any more.
Re:Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:3, Insightful)
By the way, I use a Compaq V720 17" monitor, and it works pretty well. Nice flat screen, good performance.
Re:Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:2)
"Doctor, I heard about treatment X, what do you think of that?"
Doctor says: " Hmmm... that might work for you, lets run some tests"
After tests doctor says: "That will work best... lets set the date"
Granted, it may not trun out like that, but it cannot hurt for the patient to take even some unofficial knowledge, so long as he understands that only a doctor can determine if that information is applicable to his specific case.
Re:Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:2)
One way is to use glasses to correct the myopia. Using these glasses while reading will increase the condition.
The other way is to use glasses to increase the myopia. Using these glasses while reading will decrease the condition.
Which one is right? Well
Re:Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:2)
I do have the same condition. I was diagnosed when I was thirteen. I wore glasses for about two years, then moved to soft contacts for a few years. Originally it only showed in one eye, but then both lenses became noticably affected. So i was switched to a combo soft contact with a rigid center type of lens. I was still assured that I would eventually need a transplant or accept being blind.
When I got to college I was lucky that the university optometry program had specialists studying this disorder. They wanted to switch me to just a regular gas permeable lens. My God, what a difference! Without the contact lenses I have to hold a newspaper centimeters from my nose to read it, but wearing contact lenses I have almost perfect vision. And as an astronomer I'm damn careful with my eyesight. It's not exactly 20/20, but it's better than most people who only need reading specs.
In short my advice is to talk with your optometrist and strongly consider getting regular, run-of-the-mill hard contact lenses and spring maybe $100-$200 before you invest in specialized technology for people with less easily corrected conditions
that's silly (Score:3, Informative)
And by the time you reach your 40s, you'll invariably need reading glasses anyway; there is no escaping it. Sorry, eyes just aren't built to last.
Re:that's silly (Score:2)
In my case, the doc said that doing up-close reading was fatiguing the muscles in my eyes that allow me to focus at various depths, or something along those lines (it's been a long time, I forget the details). She said she'd seen many people with a very similar problem. At the time, she said at least hopefully it would slow down the progression of nearsightedness, but she tried not to get me too hopeful. It worked really well for me. I'm sure many peoples' nearsightedness may have other causes.
Haven't you ever stared at something up close (a few inches from your face) for a bit, then noticed that when you look away, your eyes take a while before they will focus at a farther distance again? Why is it hard to believe that muscles around the eyes can get tired?
Re:that's silly (Score:2)
Re:that's silly (Score:2)
Re:Corrective lenses make things worse (Score:2)
Browser (Score:2)
In Opera, all versions I have used, you can just hit + or - to make the whole web page larger or smaller. As soon as I load pricewatch I always hit plus three times, to bump it up to 130%. Where do they get off using tiny fonts anyway?
This works on all web pages, it's insanely great. It will even enlarge flash animations, images, everything. Well, almost everything, scroll bars stay the same size, but buttons, checkboxes, and radio buttons all get bigger. It doesn't mess up the presentation most of the time. Text just flows to fit the screen correctly, so no sidescrolling necessary (except on text/plain pages)
Go with the CRT (Score:2)
Also, as everyone should do, pay very close attention to your work environment and ergonomic setup.
Re:Go with the CRT (Score:2)
>going with a big LCD that will have a native
>resolution much higher.
So what?
Run at the higher resolution. Most GUIs have a way to control the size of things.
Yes, it IS possible to run your screen at 1280x1024 and still have icons and text that are as big as an 800x600 screen. The difference is that your text will be MUCH sharper, especially with antialiasing.
I demonstrated this on my dad's system - he was running at 800x600 despite having a very nice 19" monitor and 32 meg video card (his eyes aren't what they used to be). I kicked the resolution up to 1280x1024 and bumped the sizes all of his objects and desktop text items up a few notches.
End result: Same usability as far as spotting the icon he wants and reading the text on things, but it's a much sharper screen now. The only time he needs to kick the resolution back down is sometimes looking at web pages with small images. In this particular case I set up a theme that he can switch to - goes back to 800x600 and the sizes go back to default. Everything looks the right size, the pictures are "bigger", but the text is a little blockier.
-l
Re:Go with the CRT (Score:2)
I am not sure I understand why you are making this argument when one has to be switching resolutions back and forth, especially in Linux distros and Windows that tend to loose track of where you place your icons after switching your resolution. The reason I reccomend to our patients that have varying degrees of vision loss to go with a larger CRT monitor and a lower fixed resolution is so they don't have to switch resolutions back and forth. It's easier on them. However, that said, there are some great new LCD's out with very bright screens and contrast ratios never before available in reasonably priced solutions that may work at higher resolutions for may folks with vision loss. The problem here is that they are still rather expensive to get the highest quality ones.
I second the 21" suggestion (Score:2)
So go for a 21 incher, pretty much any one will do as long as it has a good
Baring that, I am sure that these [plasmapeople.com] people may be able to help you.
A good on screen text dictator is a plus, I have known of people who were almost compleatly blind and managed to use a computer just fine with a good text dictator. I find the damn things highly annoying myself (being a speed reader I would keel over if I lost my ability to read efficently.
*COUGH* *COUGH* Windows (any version) tends to have excellent text dictation support, as it does other features for the visualy impaired. (built in magnifing utility and such).
Also, learn how to type with your eyes clsoed, it can save a lot of wear and tear on them.
Use a good video card, I recommend a Matrrox [matrox.com] card of any sort. They Rock. Period.
Monitors and vision (Score:2)
I have KC too (Score:2, Informative)
Just as a general 19" CRT suggestion: (Score:2)
The LG Electronics Flatron 915ft (plus) is a the monitor I've recently chosen to purchase. For around $315 after shipping, it allows 1600x1200@85hz (my major consideration), it's truly flat, compares well against the other top-rated 19" monitors in terms of color, and those that have had problems with the monitor, it has had the best record in terms of returns.
A set of Epinions reviews. [epinions.com]
It uses a different mask type than any other monitors, from what I've heard, called a "slit mask" - and it does look good. The only real notable feature other than looking good and being really flat is that it avoids the "2 horizontal wires" of the trinitron type monitors.
One final note about the warranty - it's a three year warranty - however, not all the years of it's terms are equal. The two months, you get the traditional swap&replace returns for a new monitor. For the rest of the first year, you get a refurbished monitor back. For the two years after that, you have to mail the monitor to the service company, then wait for the repaired monitor. After that, you've pretty much got to get a new monitor. So, although they have had a good reputation as far as customer service goes so far, know what to expect.
I like it so far, and find it a very good replacement for my last 19" monitor, and worth the extra cash over a 17" or a lower quality 19".
:^)
Ryan Fenton
How I fixed my problem... (Score:4, Informative)
P.S. I also upgraded my video card to a GeForce3 Ti 500 with a digital output. The picture isn't drastically different, but I can honestly say it is easier on the eyes than analog (I think it has to do with the way the colors are presented).
Ditto the ViewSonic VG191 recommendation (Score:2)
Sony's entry level 21" FD Trinitron is ~$500 (the better G520P is ~$750), so if funds are tight, hey, you won't suffer too much. I use my G500 for HDTV video [accessdtv.com] more than anything else these days, which no affordable LCD can do (Apple's HD Cinema display will, but it's $3500). But given a choice, LCD via DVI is the way to go.
Re:Ditto the ViewSonic VG191 recommendation (Score:2)
Hook them both up at the same time - that's what I do & everything's fine. If you're already configured that way, maybe the monitor (or the video card) doesn't like your BIOS.
Re:Ditto the ViewSonic VG191 recommendation (Score:2)
Contact your local Lions Club (Score:5, Informative)
You probably much better off asking there than on
From one blind guy to another (Score:2)
Large monitors are good. I find that magnifiers don't feel 'natural' to look through, and software magnification that makes you scroll the screen around your work area is an added headache you don't need. Size, size, size.
I currently have a 20" (18" viewable) ViewSonic from about 9 years ago, and I'm getting an 18" (17" viewable) ViewSonic LCD this coming week. Flicker and too much brightness can do a real job on your eyes; blurriness will increase, your head will ache somewhat, the usual you can expect from overtaxing your eyes.
Crank the font size in your web browser, and get used to the overall look and placement of icons and menu items. You don't have to see everything perfectly if you know where things should be placed in relation to others.
Even with all the tricks, you'll never be completely comfortable with your monitor and desktop setup. Get used to looking closer a lot at times, and be sure to take breaks when you need it. Shut your eyes for a while.
This is all general stuff, but I hope it helps.
Some experience (Score:2, Insightful)
1. For CRT displays, bigger is better. If something is bigger, it is easier to see. There are many packages out there that allow you to enlarge a portion of the screen (and some of this basic functionality is built into windows,) but in general, bigger is always better.
2. When it comes to software aides that 'enhance' the screen image or read things out through speech synthesizer, there is a lot of software available for windows, but I don't know if there is as much for Linux (because I have never before needed to check.)
3. For some people who have problems with reflections 'within' the eye (i.e. something in your peripheral vision appears to be in front of you) laptop TFT displays tend to be easier to see than CRT displays. I do not know why this is true, but it is true in my experience.
Little Experience (Score:2)
If you can get the taxpayers to pay for it, get one of those ginormous LCD screens. Make sure it goes bright enough.
Really, owing to the individualized nature of many disabilities, your best bet is to be prepared to do lots of shopping. And if the condition is dynamic, be prepared to replace parts frequently as conditions change.
Also, I'd look into emacspeak [sourceforge.net]. I would have done this for my wife, but her hearing is bad also. (BTW, that isn't the easiest page to read. Default font size too small:)
lucky (Score:2)
don't skimp (Score:2)
I find a 19" is good at 1152x768. 1280x1024 is generally too much for me at that screen size.
A CRT will generally give you the biggest screen size for the price. But a nice LCD will be very crisp, and the crispness won't deteriorate over time. If you get an LCD, shoot for a monitor and video card combiniation that will will allow you to use a digital connection.
If you go for a CRT get one that will support high refresh-rates. Some cards are sharper than others too, as I recall, this is a ZDnet review criteria.
Lighting, of course, is important. Arrange things to avoid catching glare of the monitor.
Finally, get a monitor with workable controls. It doesn't matter how many settings the damn thing has if you can't configure it to get a good picture. And look for uniform picture quality across the display.
Things to try (Score:2, Informative)
Figure out just how far you sit from the monitor. Ask your ophthamologist to write you a prescription for glasses optimized for that distance. Explain exactly what you're using them for; he may have a better idea of what to use.
If you're having problems with chromatic aberation, which shows up as red, green, and blue colored bands around letters, get a monochrome monitor. It isn't enough to set your software to display in black and white; this has to be done in hardware.
Get a big monitor. You may want to run it at a lower resolution than it's rated for. This is especially true if you have a hard time seeing thin lines. Many programs will insist on using one-pixel thick lines; it helps if the pixels themselves are larger.
Good luck!
--Andy Hickmott
Just use a TV (Score:2)
Cataracts were my problem... (Score:2)
I have keratoconus too... (Score:2)
Using a good flat screen 17" CRT monitor is probably a good idea. Make sure you have good lighting in the room you are looking at the computer screen.
My keratoconus is bad enough that glasses can't fully correct my vision without giving me double vision. The general glasses I use around the house work to about 20 feet and give me a headache if I wear them for more than a coupl eof hours.
I wear Softperm (sorry I couldn't find any good links) contact lenses. They are hard lenses in the center and soft on the outside. Much easier to wear than straight hard lenses, but you get excellent vision from the the rigid center.
With my lenses on, I get 20/20 to 20/30 vision, depending on how tired my eyes are that day. IMHO, the standard toric & other soft lenses are all shit compared to these Softperms.
The main advice I would give to you is to take breaks from the computer. Ever hour or so, get up and wander around. I find it makes a big difference to take time away from the screen.
Wonder about lawsuits (Score:2)
At one point, my boss asked me why I was always going for the larger monitors. My response: "Because 15" (or 14", which we had at the time) was just too small. In a few years people with bad eyesite are going to blame it on their monitors if they are too small"
This will happen. The question is'nt if somebody will sue because their company gave them a small CRT (or LCD), but when. I sure as heck don't want to be there.
Re:Wonder about lawsuits (Score:2)
The story that squinting at small text or monitors, sitting too close to the tv, etc. can cause poor vision is an old wives' tale. There is no convincing medical evidence that any of these activities decrease vision in anything but the very short-term (hours). They do not cause near-sightedness, blindness, far-sightedness, or color blindness. At worst they will cause some fatiguing of the muscles in the eye making it difficult and irritating until those muscles are rested.
I realize people can sue for anything, but the moment they try to hire an ophthalmologist as an expert witness, they'll get nothing but laughter in their faces.
Do some eye exercises! (Score:2)
I had some vision problems a while back. Was developing astigmatism. Went for glasses, and the doctor basically told me that if I used the glasses, I would quickly become dependant on them.
His solution was simple once he learned what I was doing most of the time. Subject my eyes to a variety of visual problems each day. Focusing near medium and far often during the day. This has worked well for me in that after a few months, the problems went away.
So it can't hurt in your case, and might help you retain lens flexibility and muscle development that will enable you to see well as your condition develops.
High Res LCD works for me (Score:2)
Over the past few years my eyesight has started to get worse. I can have a slightly weak right eye, which has been getting progressivly worse with time. about a year ago, after hiting an insane deadline for a project, my boss got me what was at the time the top of the line Dell laptop (C800). The machine has a 15" LCD which I use at 1600x1200, which makes everything very small, but razor sharp. Not only is it razor sharp, but there is no refresh rate, which is something that gives me problems.
Anyway, since getting the LCD, my right eye has bothered me less and less. I almost never even notice the problem now. Everyone that looks at my screen tells me I am going to go blind, and I just have to kind of chuckle, and tell them my vision has improved.
Now when I use a CRT for any length of time, I can actually feel my right eye starting to get stressed again. My experience may not be true for everyone, especially if you have a real vision problem, other than the standard bad vision, like I believe the poster does.
I highly suggest getting a high resolution LCD if you are just starting to get vision problems from using an CRT all day long. For me, using a CRT is a killer, even at 85htz refresh. I have a 21" Sony Trintron at home, and that gives me problems as well, although other people swear by them.
Try things out and see what works best for you.
-Pete
get something bright (Score:2)
The only thing that probably makes a difference as far as buying a monitor is concerned is to get a monitor that's bright. A bright monitor will make it more likely that your pupils are small, and that makes the images you are getting sharper. I think bright, sharp, and big are more difficult to get in the same monitor, so perhaps a smaller, lower resolution, but brighter monitor is a better choice overall. Paying attention to office lighting probably also helps a lot.
My personal impression is that light-text-on-dark-background also improves readability, but that's something you can experiment with afterwards.
Also, think about the software you will be using. Interfaces will lots of buttons and tiny, fixed-size dialog boxes will not be your friend, while a command line at which you type succinct commands works no matter how poor your vision gets. While Windows has some low-vision hooks, aiming for working on a command line system may be a better career move.
may I suggest meditation as a supportive strategy? (Score:2)
I've also had vision difficulties recently that can totally be traced to stress.
Stress can boost one's intraocular pressure (aggravating our friend's problem) as well as confusing the image processing areas of the brain.
Try being Here and Now and see if that helps.
(Zen skill acquisition is left as an exercise for the reader)
I'm betting that it will. Worked for me!
Assistive Technology (AT) (Score:2, Interesting)
Fundamentally you should probably be looking into Assistive Technology (AT) -- a screen magnifier or a large font theme or a high-contrast theme, just to name a few possible solutions. A larger monitor might be used in conjunction with a screen magnifier or a theme. Just buying a different or larger monitor and getting "one of the big LCD projector dealies?" may not be an option at your work or home, is certainly not portable, and may actually not help that much or at all.
Do you use Linux or Windows or Mac OS?
If you use Linux, you should check out the Linux Accessibility Resource Site (LARS) at http://trace.wisc.edu/linux/ If you use Windows you might want to search google for the terms ZoomText, JAWS, or just Windows Accessibility. I'm sure you'll find something useful. If you use Mac OS X, try searching for OS X Accessibility, there's a web page at apple.com about what it can do; more accessibility solutions also exist for OS 9. Please e-mail me (jpsc@users.sourceforge.net) if you have further questions and I'd love to talk to you more about solutions that exist for your particular platform.
I feel I have to comment on the way in which Slashdot continues to cover the topic of accessibility. I mean no disrespect to your question, it is indeed a very good one. The way in which the question was framed, however demonstrates a general lack of familiarity with accessibility on the part of Slashdot editors. The editors continuously reject stories (I and I'm sure other of my colleagues have submitted) about substantive accessibility news and assistive technology software for Linux, Unix, and OS X and instead pick stories that turn the complex issues of accessibility, disabled computer users, low-vision access, etc. into an invitation reccomend monitors.
This is really missing the point about what Assistive Technology is and can do. I would LOVE to talk to the Slashdot editors (or anyone else) about these issues and be thrilled to see an "Accessibility" topic added to Slashdot.
Editors, if you're reading, e-mail me, I'll be glad to call you or correspond on IRC or e-mail. This is a very important issue that deserves to be framed the right way. Among other things, under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998, software used in the US federal government, INCLUDING Linux, must be accessible (see http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/508standards.h
Again, Slashdot editors PLEASE contact me. Tuxbeej, feel free to do the same.
Best,
--JP Schnapper-Casteras
Organizer of the 1st and 2nd Linux Accessibility Conferences
Creator of the Linux Accessibility Resource Site
Founder of the KDE Accessibility Project
Maintainer of the Free Desktop Accessibility Working Group
Founder and co-admin of Project Ocularis
http://trace.wisc.edu/linux/
http://ocularis.s
http://accessibility.kde.org
http://www.sp
What to look for (Score:2)
If an LCD is out of your budget, then when looking for a CRT, make sure it's got a low dot pitch. The smaller the dot pitch, the sharper the image and therefore less strain on the eyes.
Also, make sure the monitor has a high refresh rate for the resolution you'll have it set at. The higher the refresh rate, the smoother and more flicker-free the display will be, also having the effect of reducing eye strain. Look for something with an 85Hz refresh rate or better would be best.
And of course, the bigger the monitor the better. But that goes without saying.
Cheaper Solution -- At Least For Web (Score:4, Informative)
I knew a guy with a similar problem (Score:2)
Sony GDM-F500R or GDM-F520 (Score:2)
Regarding resolutions, run whatever feels comfortable, but run the highest refresh rate possible.
HTH.
Chris
There is a serious problem with the Web (Score:2)
The problem with websites is often much more serious than with small monitors. It's easier to set up a text editor or xterm to display large fonts, but with websites things are much more difficult, thanks to incompetent web designers, that's why I'll focus on websites. There are thousands of webmasters out there, for whom a good website looks like this:
This is a serious problem. You can't set your default base font size to 1000 points, just to have 30 points fonts on most websites, because the correctly designed websites (i.e. those which use the default, user defined font size for main text) will have fonts larger than a screen. Sometimes even the website is nearly unusable when you're using larger fonts, because you have to horizontally scroll reading every line of text.
A quite obvious solution would be to use text mode Lynx [browser.org] browser in xterm window (or dos box in MS-Windows), using 40x20 characters, with very large fonts, so the window takes the whole screen. Unfortunately, most of websites don't work in text mode, not to say about being usable using lines shorter than 80 characters.
Read My own web design rules [slashdot.org] (my comment to What Makes a Good Web Design [slashdot.org] Slashdot article, which was not very popular when I wrote it, but is in my opinion very important), especially the points entitled:
Those are in my opinion the most important points to this discussion, but take a look also on:
If webmasters while making their websites were only following these few simple rules, there would be no problem. Even the 14 inch screen is big enough to display very large and readable characters using e.g. 40x20, or even 20x10 characters, full-screen windows. The problem is that most of the Web becomes completely unusable in 20x10 characters text mode.
Let me quote to sentences of Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web:
Unfortunately, most of web designers don't understand that at all. They are one of the main reasons, why people with poor eyesight have to buy gigantic, expensive monitors.
Experience from another weak-eyed geek. (Score:2, Informative)
1. Lighting is VERY important. make sure you have ambient light.
2. the size of the monitor is also very important, but CRISPNESS is more important. You must make sure that the monitor is CRISP. You cannot really tell if a monitor is CRISP without looking at it. Two monitors with the same pitch distance can be very different when you actually look at them.
3. You MUST get them with full 3 year warranty. Monitors are so fragile, that it may be already broken during shipment, before you open the box. Monitors, especially big ones, have an extremely high lemon rate. If you spend money on a monitor and you are not satisfied with the image quality, insist on taking it back. You must move it *very* carefully.
4. LCD vs. CRT. Well. LCD technology is simply not there yet. When IBM shows me the 300dpi monitor I'll take a close look and maybe change my mind. The truth is, For the price you pay for a LCD with high quality digital signals, you'd be so better off with two beautiful 20" high end monitor. Another thing is, in Linux, you can configure 10 different resolutions, all the way from 1200x1600 to 400x600. LCDs cannot scale good. When a LCD is displaying any size that is different from it's own, it interpolates. This anti-aliasing kills your eyes because your eyes tend to think that it is out of focus.
5. Video card counts. You must get a Matrox. Make damn sure that it doesn't get under 85MHz. Better get higher rates. Hand tune your monitor carefully.
6. Monitor cables counts a lot, too. Best is high quality BNC cables, they are about $100.
7. Do yourself a favour, use OPERA as your browser. you can zoom in any size you want with your numeric keypad. Right now I'm typing in half-inch letters.
8. one thing great about two huge monitors is that you can set one of them at really low resolution, so when you switch to windows. *shame* like VC++ you can see BIG letters.
9. Picking a monitor is likely shopping for fruit. You must hand pick yours. Even the exact same model have different crispness. Pick a good one.
This [uiuc.edu] is what my room looks like.
My school have 20" Trinitron monitors everywhere, but they tire my eyes. If you set up your monitor configuration correctly, you are not likely to be tired for a long long time.
What's the best CRT monitor? Well I really dislike Trinitron tubes because many of them actually flashes due to the little string that holds the grills turned lose. I heard many many good words about high end EIZO, but they are at $2000 range.
I know that you are a student, and this sounds very expensive. You must sacrifice everything else to get a good monitor setup if you want to still see in 10 years. It's also a great investment because it last longer than any other parts of your computer, Good luck.
Another huge earth quake hit Taiwan. Let's pray for them.
Monitor Suggestions (Score:2)
Anyway, I have KC which reached the point where I've had (successful) cornea transplants in both eyes. I still have to wear contact lenses since the transplants, but I can now use relatively ordinary computer displays (e.g., 1024x768 on a 12.1 inch laptop screen).
Prior to the transplants, I found that a 20 inch monitor running in 800x600 mode with "large fonts" selected in Windows worked well. For character-based work in Linux, a normal 80x25 text display on the 20 inch screen was really easy to read.
Hang in there -- 90% of KCers get adequate vision with either glasses or rigid contact lenses; for the other 10% (like me), the cornea transplant has a 90%+ success rate.
Consider two perscriptions for lenses... (Score:2)
Retinal Degeneration Vs. Focusing problems (Score:2)
I'm also very farsited and slightly astigmatic, unrelated to the RP. The set of things to deal with light-focus problems in the eye are different than the ones for RP. For problems focusing, bigger is most often better. It's also an area where high-contrast is very helpful. Myself, I find serrifed fonts easier to read, but it's something you can check out. Dispite what people say, if there is a physical defect in your cornea, not using your glasses WILL NOT MAKE YOUR EYES STRONGER. I know people who's eyes have gotten somewhat worse from extended comptuer usage. Mine have gotten slightly better over time and I spend an inordinant amount of time at the geekbox. If it's a defect, it's a defect and must be worked with. The Topic poster sounds like he is very interested in doing the right thing this way. I've had pretty darned bad eyes since I was 3, probably earlier. If you tell people your restrictions, and work on finding what helps you see (high contrast? Serifed fonts? closer/farther?) then your life won't be too dificult to deal with.
Just a word of warning, you'll get the occasional jerk who won't believe you have an eye condition that's as bad as it is, or doesn't care. It can be dificult to stay calm with these goons. Just remember, they're an idiot.
Good Luck
--Josh
Re:Digital Ink (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm always sorry to hear about people losing their vision, but I really don't think it's because of staring into monitors. I've only used a computer with an LCD screen when I was given a laptop by work for a week-long business trip, so I really don't think CRTs are doing the damage.
The Monitor-Eyesight myth (Score:2, Informative)
Thus, you are basically looking at light bulbs when you use your monitors. As a result, your eye sight gets worse. I used computers more than 15 hours/day. So, I also hope new display technology which is not so bad for eyes.
I'll bite.As a M.D., heavy computer user, and having gone through eye surgery myself, I've put a lot of reading into precisely this. I get this kind of question asked on a daily basis.
Short version: This is false. Monitors do not worsen your eyesight.
Long version: Computer display devices do not have, and they are not, light bulbs. LCD displays carry a small fluorescent tube to provide backlighting. In a CRT, as probably allThere are, however, certain things that can give you the idea that your eyesight's getting worse. Your eyes naturally focus at infinity, which means that the muscles which stretch the lens for focusing rest when you look at a far-off point (20 feet away or more).
As you grow older (and I mean from 15 years on), the lens becomes more and more rigid, and your focusing muscles must work harder to focus nearer. Ultimately, you just can not focus close enough to read (which is a normal condition) and must wear eyeglasses to do it (at 50 yrs approx).
This means that, as time goes by, you have to strain more and more to look at the screen, will see it blurry from time to time when your muscles get tired and can't focus properly (and yes, they do get tired), and might get headaches from the effort expended.
Is this is the case, an optometrist can provide eyeglasses to look at the screen with your eyes focused at infinity. Sitting farther from the computer will also help.