iMac 21.5 inch Vs 27 inch From An Eye Strain Perspective

[0btanium]

Is there any authoritative data that correlates screen size with eye-strain? There seems to be three opinions out there:

1. Screen size (with respect to physical dimensions) has no effect whatsoever on the amount of eye strain.

2. Some suggest a bigger monitor size can enable you to place it farther away(for the same visibility) which reduces eye strain.

3. And finally some say bigger the monitor size greater will be the radiations emitted that could potentially harm your eyes.

Your thoughts?

 

[Johnf1285]

Is there any authoritative data that correlates screen size with eye-strain? There seems to be three opinions out there:

1. Screen size (with respect to physical dimensions) has no effect whatsoever on the amount of eye strain.

2. Some suggest a bigger monitor size can enable you to place it farther away(for the same visibility) which reduces eye strain.

3. And finally some say bigger the monitor size greater will be the radiations emitted that could potentially harm your eyes.

Your thoughts?

For what it's worth, the 21.5" and 27" displays have roughly the same amount of pixels per inch. Meaning text and images will appear approximately the same size if both computers were side by side and viewed from the same distance. The best way to consider the screen size difference is as if it's simply a larger canvas to work on.

 

[DeltaMac]

1. Screen size, by itself, would have minimal affect on eye strain.

2. Screen distance from your eyes may have some effect, although the worst would be finding out that you can't read the smallest text, because the screen is too far away. You'd have to try that out for yourself.

3. Radiation was a concern to some degree on CRT (tube) displays/TVs - so you did need to consider the viewing distance.
But, with CRTs, the biggest concern for vision is the scan frequency/refresh rate. Lower frequency would increase the potential for eye strain, particularly in work environments where you may need to view the screen for hours at a time. Regular rest breaks, away from the screen, is a great help.
But - radiation and scan frequency are not relevant on LCDs, as no detectable radiation is emitted, and the video is generated in a completely different method that doesn't involve the scanning beam that you have with a CRT.