iMac resolution for old people

[benjai]

So my parents just bought a 21.5" iMac which has replaced their aging PC that came with a CRT(!!). The first thing they noticed was that the resolution is too high. Obviously, lowering this makes everything blurry but of course, no such problem with the CRT where they had nice big text and icons.

Surely there must be a way around this? Some software solution perhaps? They've zoomed in with Safari but that doesn't help the rest of the system and is a real pain to do it for every individual app.

Its understandably difficult for them to understand why something so many years advanced of what they had, can't do something so simple as changing resolutions. I even had a hard time exaplaining that this was an LCD issue, and nothing to do with a mac. But still!! Any suggestions? I've searched around but can't find any adequate solutions. Thanks!

 

[3rd Doctor]

Check out the universal access controls in system preferences. There is an option to zoom in there.

 

[Gregg2]

If the problem is with the System font (Menu Bar, etc.) that won't help. Currently, there isn't a solution. Apple needs to address this in the next OS. They got ahead of themselves with these larger screens.

 

[benjai]

I know its a physical limitation of the LCD, but can't there be a software solution? You can play games at different resolutions, so why can't they do that with the OS?

 

[Gregg2]

I'm assuming they can. But, they haven't.

 

[seb-opp]

I know its a physical limitation of the LCD, but can't there be a software solution? You can play games at different resolutions, so why can't they do that with the OS?

You've all ready explained the answer to this question in your first post! You can change the screen resolution in system settings > displays. Choosing a different resolution for a game works in the same way, but as games are in 3D, you don't notice as much With a regular user interface, screen text and icons blur more noticeably.

You've already said you don't like how the screen gets blurry when you use a lower resolution, but surely this would not be a problem given that it allows screen text to appear larger?