MacBook resolution - font size issue

[Ferrari27]

Hi!

This is my first post, so let me introduce myself a little bit. I'm a long-time Spanish Windows user who switched to Linux about 6 months ago, but I would really prefer to switch to Mac.

I think the laptop I'm looking for is the medium range white MacBook with SuperDrive. It has pretty much everything I need hardware-wise, but I'm still stuck with the fact that the font size of the operating system is too small in general.

Are you guys experiencing problems (i.e. eye strain) with the native resolution of the MacBook when used daily?

Today I played with a MacBook's resolutions, and I found the second largest was best suited for me (the largest is the default one). However, the letters and the images in general didn't look as sharp as they look with the largest resolution. Do you guys think that a display calibration could solve that?

Thanks very much in advance!!

 

[xJulianx]

I had similar concerns to you in terms of the size of everything on screen when I first got my MacBook. It felt strange for a day or two, but then my eyes adjusted and I find it very comfortable to read.

You might find it's simply where you're used to a larger size and will adapt after a day or two with no eye strain issues.

 

[Tom B.]

Using a lower resolution looks blurry, because you are no longer using the display's native resolution. Display calibration cannot fix this.

I'm sure you will quickly adjust to the MacBook's text size, however, if problems persist you can increase many individual apps text sizes, for example by pressing 'Command +' in Safari.

Also, next summer, when Apple release Snow Leopard, you will be able to use Resolution Independence, which scales the entire GUI to whatever size you require.

 

[Ferrari27]

Thanks for your answers guys!

I think I'll get that WhiteBook once the grey MacBook gets released, to get a better price. I'm still concerned a bit about the fact that the casing is prone to have cracks, but I'm guess the new computer is too new and is likely to have flaws too.

 

[rashley]

17" macbook pro font size

There are many places to change font size on applications. The problem with tiny fonts remains on the menu bars, incoming mail and a host of other places where the preferences don't have any affect. Right click on the desktop/show view options lets you set font to 16pt but fonts still appear to be about 4 in most places.

Apple really needs to address this if they hope to promote a high res computer...using it at lower res is just not an acceptable solution because it is blurry and not why I purchased this expensive tool. Any one have any better solutions?

 

[Takuta-Nui]

I don't remember having any kind of optical discomfort when I first got a WhiteBook, and I haven't seen any distinct difference. Really, what bothered me was the crispness of the displays compared to whatever display I was using with the HP, but I got over that pretty quickly.

 

[Rampant.A.I.]

Everything looks pretty darn small on my 17" MBP. I had the screen resolution turned down so it was zoomed in, but I just switched it back and the resolution is fantastic.

I think I'll try to tough it out through the eye strain reading subatomic-sized text this way!

 

[mrsir2009]

Your eyes will adjust the resolution. Just like if you have a big TV, then you see a 17" TV you think that its way too small, but after a while of watching, you can see whatever your watching fine. Same with computers.