Comments For Flat Panel Monitor Users
Flat panel monitors have a maximum resolution commonly referred to as the "native resolution".
For 17 inch and 19 inch "square" monitors, this is typically 1280 x 1024, where the "1280" refers to the
number of horizontal pixels on the panel and the "1024" refers to the number of vertical pixels.
Purists tend to shudder when anyone suggests running the monitor at less than the native resolution
because maximum sharpness is achieved at that setting. Unfortunately, particularly with 17 inch monitors,
the physical size of the monitor is sufficiently small that it may be difficult to read text, properly
view some pictures, etc., on the screen at its native resolution setting. However, many monitors can
be operated at less than the maximum resolution without excessive degradation of the picture while
providing enlargement of the material being displayed that greatly eases the eye strain.
Therefore, as of this revision in 2009, the most widely used monitor resolution setting seems to be
1024 x 768 for "square" monitors. This setting is basically two "steps" down from the maximum of 1280 x 1024,
since most video drivers also provide an option of 1152 x 864. However, the most commonly used
resolution settings are in a state of flux because of the proliferation of wide screen monitors at this writing.
But the above said, how well any particular flat panel displays fine detail at settings less
than its native resolution seems to vary significantly from one model to another based on experiments
I have conducted on a variety of different monitors at local stores; some seem to become downright
"fuzzy" looking when they are used at even one step less than the native resolution. My observations
seemed to be confirmed by a magazine review I recently read concerning a 22 inch wide screen monitor with a large color
gamut supposedly intended for photo use and the comment was made that the performance deteriorated
so drastically at anything less than the native resolution that the user would almost have to put
up with text so small as to be difficult to read in the menus of the photo editing software.
Hence, if you are running your monitor at the native resolution and the pictures seem too small,
I would suggest experimenting with setting the resolution a step or so lower than the maximum, which
will significantly enlarge the size of the displayed pictures. I have set the heights of the scenery and animal
pictures to fairly well fit the browser screen with a vertical resolution setting of 768, which
of course, is based on the commonly used (in 2009) "square" monitor setting of 1024 x 768.
If you are using a wide screen monitor some experimentation with settings, as described above, may also
be in order. Additionally, you should be aware that to obtain good vertical height with a wide screen monitor, you need a somewhat
larger unit than with a "square" one since, typically, it takes roughly a 22 inch wide screen monitor (depending on aspect ratio)
to provide the same number of inches of physical height as a 17 inch "square" one.
Below is a sphere that is 200 pixels in diameter. If it appears essentially round, then your video
settings are presumably correct for your monitor. If it appears oval shaped, then you should check
your settings. For example, if you were previously using a standard aspect ratio monitor with a
computer resolution setting of 1024 x 768, and you have recently acquired a new wide screen monitor,
unless you changed your computer to the appropriate video settings, the sphere will no longer be round; it
will appear "squashed" down into an oval shape that is wider than it is high.
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