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Thread ID: 86440	2008-01-16 21:17:00	screen settings	Thomas01 (317)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
631078	2008-01-16 21:17:00	A friend needed help with MSWORKS installation. Her computer has been used by teen aged students etc and the desktop was a silly picture set to 1024 by 768 pixels. The result was that it was virtually impossible to see and read the icons. I changed it to a blank screen and set it to 800 by 600 pixels. The user was ale to see and read everything with no problems. My desktop is always set like this but my laptop has 1024 and 768 setup has no picture and is set to Extra Large font size. I am old as is my friend. We still have the daft idea that things should be designed to work and be usable. Her son of today's generation blew his top. He wanted the computer restoring to what he had previously. Designed for looks only. My first question. Why do we see so much of this situation- I mean why on earth do people prefer a almost impossible to read desktop in comparison with a good clear display? My Second question. Any ideas about how to improve the desktop display so that my friend can see it and her son is happy. My third question I could not install the program at first - not enough memory!! Checking I was horrified to see what was shown in Task Manager Processes. I did the only thing I was really capable of and shut down the picture on the desktop which gave me the memory I needed for the installation. My own computer shows lots of processes. Advice please - is this a problem and if so how can I reduce them in a simple manner. Tom	Thomas01 (317)
631079	2008-01-16 21:22:00	Well you cant change it to a higher res if your friend doesnt like it. And you cant change it to something crappy like 800x600 or 1024x768, coz their son doesnt like it. So, not much you can do about it. Tell them to buy another computer.	Speedy Gonzales (78)
631080	2008-01-16 21:48:00	Well you cant change it to a higher res if your friend doesnt like it. And you cant change it to something crappy like 800x600 or 1024x768, coz their son doesnt like it. So, not much you can do about it. Tell them to buy another computer. Looks like good advice Speedy - I have an old 486 that runs Windows98 and would probably do everything my friend wants - except the Internet of course. Dang! But again I ask why do you think 800X600 is crappy. I often get people mentioning how clear my computer is when they look at it. And my tame technician always breaths a sigh of relief when he comes round to do something - my computer is so easy to read and work on. Tom	Thomas01 (317)
631081	2008-01-16 22:02:00	I suppose it depends on how good your eyes are. Like the monitors here are set at 1440x900 their native resolution. I like it at this resolution. At least you can see everything on the screen (when you use a browser). I've just tried 800x600 it wont work. Probably because the videocard doesnt support it. (Even tho the settings have the 800x600 option) And 1024x768 just looks too blocky for me There is a program called magnifier as well (under accessories/accessibility), which does the same thing (it magnifies the screen). You could put that Win 98 PC on the net, if your friend has XP. Just chuck a ethernet card in it. And if your friend has broadband, plug it into the router, if they've got one.	Speedy Gonzales (78)
631082	2008-01-16 22:07:00	For someone whose vision isn't aging, 800 x 600 now appears pretty bad. I can't stand to look at it. My standard desktop setting used to be 1152 x 864 on my 17-inch CRT, but now with a new 19-inch LCD it's even higher. 800 x 600 to me isn't "clear" it just looks like I'm sitting up with nose against the screen - like watching a TV too close. It looks coarse, not crsip. These so much less real-estate to display too.	Biggles (121)
631083	2008-01-16 23:35:00	I am not really fond of digital zoom on cameras or monitors. I use 1280 x 1024 on a 19" monitor because it suits me. I use the same settings on a 17" monitor, since I don't like the small amount of page I see with lower resolution. For a couple of friends, the preferred setting is 800x600 which suits their eyes and they don't mind scrolling feverishly to see the data. The screen is set to whatever suits the user, but I will not look at any setup that has a refresh of 50 Hz or lower. My eyes, my choice.	R2x1 (4628)
631084	2008-01-16 23:54:00	My screen is set at 1280x1024, at home it was 1600x1200 until I lost that comp (don't ask). To me, it looks fine. To my tutor, he can't read the damn thing. As for your questions: 1 for some people with sharper eyesight, they prefer a higher resolution, as it looks better to them. Some people run their desktops with a medium resolution (eg 1024x768) and increase the font size, others just drop the screen res. 2 try giving each their own user accounts. Don't quite know how well this work, but on XP at least, different users can have different screen resolutions, I think... Don't know about 98 though.	ubergeek85 (131)
631085	2008-01-17 00:01:00	I will never use a PC for any extended length of time on anything less than 1280*1024. Hurts the eyes.	wratterus (105)
631086	2008-01-17 00:25:00	I will never use a PC for any extended length of time on anything less than 1280*1024. Hurts the eyes. It's all weird because I use 800X600 as my eyes are not all they could be. On the computer I mentioned, to start this lot off, neither myself not my friend could read the icons - too small. But when we switched to 800X600 then they were big and easy to read. OK I do realise that sometimes scrolling is called for. Doing away with scrolling in order to get an unreadable screen seems to be the wrong way to go. But this seems to be the opposite of what other users say!! And Speedy - I have just done an experiment with my two computers looking at the same photo using the same program (ACDSee) and there really is no comparison. The laptop picture breaks up much faster than the desktop when zooming in. However the desktop is using the good old fashioned monitor (as big as the proverbial kitchen sink and weighing twice as much). As we already know the Consumer Associations who have checked these have found that the old stuff still produces the best picture, which may account for the difference. I still am puzzled why so many people use massive numbers of pixels for no advantage. I have been retired for a long time now but still get asked to help people occasionally. The first thing I do generally is change the display to a lower number so I can read it. The second thing I do is put in Windows Commander (don't know how people can live without it). The people I help have almost 100% been amazed at the better clarity I leave them with. Tom	Thomas01 (317)
631087	2008-01-17 00:38:00	Set the resoultion higher, then increase the DPI (in the advanced tab in graphics properties). That will give you greater screen space while increasing the size on all the text etc.	wratterus (105)
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