Macbook Pro - Eyestrain

[-C-]

AM I CRAZY?!?!

hardly anyone complains about this! me, the OP, and like 3 other people on the planet!

have you ever felt any discomfort from your MBP display?

did you used to have a non-LED screen laptop before switching to the LED backlit MBP?

* as a last resort, i may try to get a modest pre-LED white macbook or something. if not that, i may have to try to the music/art thing in windows after all.

I don't know about that....

But I've read a few threads about resolution, discomfort, LED & fuzzy screens, etc....
I think that maybe some screens are just bad and need to be replaced.
I had a standard resolution screen that I couldn't take because of many of the same issues expressed in this one. It was quite uncomfortable to look at for many reasons (but it didn't seem that way in the store). I switched to a hi-res glossy screen and it's very very comfortable now, one of the nicest laptop screen I've had yet...and the anti-glare screen I saw in the store wasn't much different and it's a very nice screen as well.

I have a feeling that some screens are just off; no matter what resolution, glossy vs antl-glare, LED vs CCFL, etc...

 

[SamIchi]

I'm getting a similar feeling. a bit lightheaded, and a headache if I stare at the screen long enough. I have an AG 15". I've read the thread tried the color calibration but I don't think it did much.

Some say it's the font, some say its the screen, but how can we really tell

This is really a bummer cause I just got this thing, and it's the only thing that's bothering me. To my eyes it doesn't look blurry, does it maybe have something to do with the Hz refresh rate? I don't know much about screens, but I've read in the past something about this.

Inverting the screen for reading does help though. So maybe something with the contrast?

 

[dime21]

To elaborate on what Sun Baked said, you're probably having a problem with Apple's font smoothing. Windows uses a different technique for rasterizing their font than OS X; one isn't necessarily better than the other, they're just different, and it may take your eyes and brain awhile to adjust.

You may want to read this article, which I came across after a quick Google.

interesting, i didn't know that. i have the exact mirror opposite of the op: having used osx for several years now, any time i use a microsoft windows machine, i feel eye strain and stress, as if the text is a real chore to read, and i just want to give my eyes a rest and look away. i never knew why before. interesting.

 

[Vantage Point]

Haven't read the entire thread but I did buy a 27" iMac last year as my first Mac. I had to sell it due to eye strain. I now use a 15" MBP and a very nice 26" external monitor which is non-glossy and has a resolution of 86ppi instead of 110 ppi and is very easy on the eyes. I could never own/use the 17" MBP or the high res 15" version.

Eye strain is not something to take lightly

 

[SamIchi]

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1677617&tstart=0

There's another thread about this on apple.com, They also believe it's the LED technology.

 

[nebulos]

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1677617&tstart=0

There's another thread about this on apple.com, They also believe it's the LED technology.

yeah, saw that. in a way, for such an old thread, it's surprisingly short.

it's hard for me to say how much it is or isn't the LED, although, as i mentioned, i had a powerbook for years with no problems, Apple font smoothing and all.

to me, the text is definitely fuzzy on the mac, even on the high res screen, but my other laptop is 144 ppi, which is pretty high, and runs windows; text is very crisp.

i think i have gotten a little more used to it these last few days, but i still don't know if its acceptable, which will leave with a very weird decision to make.

 

[mastaofdisasta]

It's you are having eye strain, chances are its going to be because of the resolution. I have the hi-res antiglare screen, and I am having eye strain using it also. Calibrating the screen and colors does help somewhat, but I still get headaches. Changing the font sizes and zooming in still dosen't help either. Getting the standard resolution will probably alleviate my problem, as well as yours.

Some say that keeping it for a few months will eventually build tolerance for the screen, but I am not willing to take that chance and get headaches for the remainder of the years that I will have this computer.

 

[nebulos]

It's you are having eye strain, chances are its going to be because of the resolution. I have the hi-res antiglare screen, and I am having eye strain using it also. Calibrating the screen and colors does help somewhat, but I still get headaches. Changing the font sizes and zooming in still dosen't help either. Getting the standard resolution will probably alleviate my problem, as well as yours.

Some say that keeping it for a few months will eventually build tolerance for the screen, but I am not willing to take that chance and get headaches for the remainder of the years that I will have this computer.

i don't think this is the solution/problem for me. i can't stand the standard res screens in the store. to me, text is hyper-FUZZY on these. also, as i said, i currently use a very high res screen:

std res 15" screen: 110 ppi

high res 15" screen: 128 ppi

SXGA X61t thinkpad 12" screen: 144 ppi

i've never had a problem with my thinkpad. (i never zoom text on it either, or bother with color calibrations, etc.)

 

[mastaofdisasta]

Sounds like in your case is has to do with the LED backlight then. In that case you have to find a CCFL backlit screen. Unfortunately, the only way you can get around that is to find an older Macbook Pro.

In my case, it's the resolution. I was fine with a 13 inch Macbook Pro and a standard res 15 inch Macbook Pro, but the hi-res is a problem.

 

[nebulos]

Sounds like in your case is has to do with the LED backlight then. In that case you have to find a CCFL backlit screen. Unfortunately, the only way you can get around that is to find an older Macbook Pro.

In my case, it's the resolution. I was fine with a 13 inch Macbook Pro and a standard res 15 inch Macbook Pro, but the hi-res is a problem.

i wish i were yu!

... i am getting more used to the screen; we'll see.

 

[greytmom]

I have terrible eyes and I was afraid I'd have problems with the screen (15", antiglare high res). But I actually am doing so much better with this screen than the one on my old computer - I can even work on it WITHOUT wearing glasses. Yep, that's right... my eyes are naked as we speak.

 

[mastaofdisasta]

It's a little frustrating for me because I don't have any eye issues. I actually got my eyes checked out because of the eye fatigue I would get using this screen, and the doc said I don't need glasses. I did read about instances on how people who have bad sight saying the anti-glare screen was a blessing for them.

Another kicker is that we have a 20 something inch HP Touchsmart at home, and it had a 1680 x 1050 resolution, and I can see that fine.

I really like the anti-glare effect, and the only way to get it is in hi-res. I tried working with the standard res, and I used it fine, but the reflections killed it for me. Don't really know what I am going to do yet.

 

[greytmom]

I remember your first post about this... still struggling along, eh?

Did you try monkeying with the lighting in the room?

Edit: Whoops, never mind... I see you've narrowed it down to the actual resolution.

So, I think you'll have to go standard res, and put an antiglare film on it.

 

[nebulos]

I'm getting a similar feeling. a bit lightheaded, and a headache if I stare at the screen long enough. I have an AG 15". I've read the thread tried the color calibration but I don't think it did much.

Some say it's the font, some say its the screen, but how can we really tell

This is really a bummer cause I just got this thing, and it's the only thing that's bothering me. To my eyes it doesn't look blurry, does it maybe have something to do with the Hz refresh rate? I don't know much about screens, but I've read in the past something about this.

Inverting the screen for reading does help though. So maybe something with the contrast?

... by the way, i'm sorry to hear you're having problems too.


try f.lux if you haven't already. i really like it actually. the night setting is pretty easy on the eyes (and adjustable).

for the OS X calibration, i did move the white point a bit warmer, and i think i like it. i think it makes the screen a little less harsh.

however, i agree that color is, unfortunately, not the heart of the matter.


... for me, inverting colors doesn't do much. you can increase the contrast (in 'accessibility'?), though i'm not sure you can decrease it, which is probably what we would want.

... briefly glancing at the Apple thread, it seemed like the screens used to have lower refresh rates, but were then increased. ?


...possibly related to this is the explanation of one problem with LED screens (not sure if this is still true, but it seems believable from looking at it):

apparently, it's hard to dim LEDs. to reduce the brightness on an LED screen, one trick is to actually have the LED flicker very quickly, so that it seems like a constant but less bright light. the more you turn down the brightness, the more the LEDs flicker.

these screens are almost blinding with the brightness all the way up (unless you're in a bright office, etc.). thus, usually you have the brightness down, and if Apple (still) uses the 'flicker trick', you're actually staring at a flickering screen.

can you notice the flicker? supposedly some can, some can't.

but aside from this potential problem, i think the actual light itself may just be weird on my eyes on a basic level.

 

[mastaofdisasta]

I remember your first post about this... still struggling along, eh?

Did you try monkeying with the lighting in the room?

Haha glad to see that I have a follower. I've tried a lot of things lol. I'm a college student, so I work at nearly every different light setting imaginable. I tried working at different tables, desks, areas, places, but no dice. And I tinkered with tinkertool and calibrated the colors a bit. That does help a little bit, but the eyes still aren't happy.

I did try using my buddies standard res Macbook Pro. My user experience definitely improved sans the reflections. I can up the brightness to make the reflections go away a bit, but I know that is going to do a number on the battery. Plus I definitely recognize the screen is more "pixely" and that's a little bothersome since I am a bit used to the hi-res. Arrrrgh still don't know what I am going to do lol.

 

[greytmom]

Just curious... have any of you tried popping on a pair of not very dark sunglasses, just to see if that helps?

Don't go nuts. The reason I started wondering is because sometimes on cloudy or rainy days, I actually see better to drive with my sunglasses on than I do without them.

If it helped, it would at least tell you that something about the way the light is hitting your eyes is causing the problem.

 

[greytmom]

Haha glad to see that I have a follower.

Your user name stuck out! Reminds me of a Papa Roach song (which is now running non-stop through my head...)

 

[mastaofdisasta]

Hmmm, I haven't thought of doing that. Usually when I see people wearing sunglasses indoors, they automatically go into "your a tool" group in my book.

 

[lximenez]

I wonder if things will get better with Lion ???

 

[muscletesting]

Mac Eyestrain Solution

Hello All. The solution to the eye-strian problems is very simple (if you're a biology geek and not a computer geek). The default brightness setting on macs (laptop and iMac) is roughly 8 out of 16 (eg 16 dots is the brightest, 1 is the dullest). This is accessed on the F1 and F2 buttons on most keyboards.

The optic nerve gets strained by anything higher than 3 to 4 dots, so the default of 8 is clearly too high. I actually keep mine at a 2 - it makes the screen look dull at first but you get used to it, and since I write 8 to 10 hours a day some days, its either that or nothing.

Since I specialize in muscle testing, I can use an indicator muscle to test the screen brightness. The indicator stops going weak at around 3 dots. For me, 4 dots or higher shuts off the muscle. This is actually a more specific way of testing your optic nerve threshold because pain, in the form of a headache, is the last indicator you'll get that there's a problem.

 

[palpatine]

Hello All. The solution to the eye-strian problems is very simple (if you're a biology geek and not a computer geek). The default brightness setting on macs (laptop and iMac) is roughly 8 out of 16 (eg 16 dots is the brightest, 1 is the dullest). This is accessed on the F1 and F2 buttons on most keyboards.

The optic nerve gets strained by anything higher than 3 to 4 dots, so the default of 8 is clearly too high. I actually keep mine at a 2 - it makes the screen look dull at first but you get used to it, and since I write 8 to 10 hours a day some days, its either that or nothing.

Since I specialize in muscle testing, I can use an indicator muscle to test the screen brightness. The indicator stops going weak at around 3 dots. For me, 4 dots or higher shuts off the muscle. This is actually a more specific way of testing your optic nerve threshold because pain, in the form of a headache, is the last indicator you'll get that there's a problem.

the thread is dead. why did you resurrect a 5-month old thread?