Size of monitor

Chet

Chet

Well-known Member
Location
PA, USA
I recently bought a refurbished computer with a 22 inch monitor thinking bigger is better. It wasn't for me. Part of the problem is viewing with glasses. There is a recommended viewing distance for TVs and monitors in relation to size, but if your eyeglass prescription doesn't accommodate that distance, it doesn't work out. In that regard, I'm back to my laptop with the 15 inch monitor. I have a smaller monitor from an old computer which I'll switch to for the refurbished one.

So what size is your monitor and does it work for you?
 

A few years ago when one of my aunts got a new computer system, she gave me her old 18.5" diagonal flat screen because I was using a CRT monitor. I really like it.
 

My desktop monitor is (I think) 19". But it's been sitting on an extra desk unused for a long time... I use a larger than average laptop for just about everything now.
 
-Oy- said:
My 27" iMac works just great for me.
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Mine too.... but @Chet, you can get glasses specifically for computer use from the regular opticians.. . I wear ''computer specs'' while on here.. they are normal specs made with Blue tech filter lenses ( not that you can see the Blue colour) they filter out blue light which is thought to be partly responsible for CVS. The lenses are made with an agent that mimics pigments in the eye that naturally protect us from blue light.

Have a read of this... they really are worth getting

https://safetygearpro.com/what-are-computer-glasses-and-how-do-they-work/
 
My response won't be useful to you, Chet, but if you're asking for general responses....

I had whatever size monitor or laptop I could afford. About 15-19 inches I guess? I used to covet a bigger screen or dual screen, especially when I was working, but it was not to be.

Now I just have my smartphone. It's slightly larger than my previous smartphone, but that one was fine too.

I'm at a point where I don't like reading physical books with small print, but I haven't had trouble with any size screen (yet).
 
I've worn glasses most of my life (since age 7) and had lens replacement 12 years ago. So far, just dimming the screen light has worked for me. My laptop has a screen that is 17 in, my desktop is 28 in. and the monitor for my PS5 is 32 in. None cause any noticeable problem. Vision is different for everyone and what works for one may not work for others.
 
I use a 22" monitor. My bifocal glasses have my computer prescription on top (which is a little less than arms length) and reading prescription on the bottom. Since I'm far-sighted, I don't need glasses for distance.
 
My Dell laptop 4k display is 15.6 inches on a mobile computer stand below an external Dell 24 inch UHD 4k monitor it drives. How far away I sit is somewhat dependent on the diopter value of reading glasses I am using as focusing distance varies by diopter value. Also dependent on screen pixel density and what one is viewing. Most web display viewing distance guides are not for PC monitors but rather televisions where taking in the whole screen is the goal. With a laptop, one must be close enough to a keyboard to type, but with a desktop using a wireless wifi keyboard, one is limited by how far away text and elements can be read. Accordingly, I prefer higher diopter reading glasses in order to sit close, 15 to 20 inches for most work but prefer longer distances when viewing screen filling photographs or videos.

The first thing you might do @Chet is go to a Dollar Tree store and buy a few different diopter reading glasses cheaply for $1.25 each and then experiment with what works and feels best. Then after doing so, see your optometrist for a higher quality reading glass lens for that distance.
 
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Chet said:
I recently bought a refurbished computer with a 22 inch monitor thinking bigger is better. It wasn't for me. Part of the problem is viewing with glasses. There is a recommended viewing distance for TVs and monitors in relation to size, but if your eyeglass prescription doesn't accommodate that distance, it doesn't work out. In that regard, I'm back to my laptop with the 15 inch monitor. I have a smaller monitor from an old computer which I'll switch to for the refurbished one.

So what size is your monitor and does it work for you?
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Yes, I made the same mistake, I found the larger size laptops cumbersome and hard to handle, I much prefer the 15" laptop, to me it's ideal to move around with or in your lap while sitting in a recliner.
 
Chet said:
I recently bought a refurbished computer with a 22 inch monitor thinking bigger is better. It wasn't for me. Part of the problem is viewing with glasses. There is a recommended viewing distance for TVs and monitors in relation to size, but if your eyeglass prescription doesn't accommodate that distance, it doesn't work out. In that regard, I'm back to my laptop with the 15 inch monitor. I have a smaller monitor from an old computer which I'll switch to for the refurbished one.

So what size is your monitor and does it work for you?
Click to expand...
Haven't a desktop PC since around 1999. Last one was a 24" monitor.

Laptops have been 15" mostly. Tablet (on which I'm typing this) is 10" and phone's about 7".
 
SeniorBen said:
I use a 22" monitor. My bifocal glasses have my computer prescription on top (which is a little less than arms length) and reading prescription on the bottom. Since I'm far-sighted, I don't need glasses for distance.
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I'm long sighted too.. I've always had to have glasses for distance.. especially at night

before I got the 'computer specs'' I wore my normal reading glasses to see the computer. I've worn reading glasses since I was about 50... and they worked ok.. but the computer specs are better. My daughter who doesn't have any problems with her eyesight spends all day on computers at her job and was getting headaches, so she had Computer specs prescribed for her, and she no longer gets headaches
 
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Supernatural said:
Haven't a desktop PC since around 1999. Last one was a 24" monitor.

Laptops have been 15" mostly. Tablet (on which I'm typing this) is 10" and phone's about 7".
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LOL..desktop monitors are not like they were in 1999... my iMac desktop is 27 ins..all in one..there's no tower, no extra peripherals ..everything is inside what amounts to the Monitor.. (for want of a more technical description)

office-3.jpg
 
I don't think it's always a matter of size of the screen. Distance from the monitor is also a factor. I sit about 2 feet away from my 32 inch monitor. It's actually just a television screen. I've also had a focus problem, and tilting my head back close up to a small screen was crimping my neck trying to look through my bifocals. Two feet from a large screen seems to be my sweet spot. Everything is crisp and clear, and I don't need to look through my bifocal lens at that distance.

After years and years, I still haven't gotten used to my bifocals. When I read a book, it's easier for me to just take off my glasses. But that sweet spot is going to be different for everyone.
 
Too big.

Since last year was my last year of real operation of my small consultancy I decided to splurge with one last big tax deductible purchase and got a couple of high end monitors. They are too big, I have trouble focusing on the whole easily, and my neck gets tired. If I had it to do again I'd go back to 22 to 28 inch ones. I do like having two.
IMG_3417.jpg
 

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