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27" too big?

Spike88 said:
I currently don't have a Mac. Thus, I don't know the answer for a Mac.

A few weeks ago, I upgraded my Win XP monitor from 19" to 24". Then, I went into Control Panel - Display - Advance and changed its 96 DPI to 126 DPI. Font size is now perfect - for my new 24" monitor. Can "font size" be increased on a Mac machine as well? If no native setting, does someone have a shareware tool - that will increase font size instead? Just wondering...

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Click to expand...

It can be changed natively, but it is really for specific applications that the font size will actually change in. They talk about it in this thread.

@OP- I can understand your sentiments on the large screen, especially with how bright and vibrant the IPS display is. You'll probably get used to it, as my current setup is my 21.5" iMac with a 32" LCD right beside it for my PC, but occasionally I link the iMac to the 32" via HDMI for Photoshop projects in which I need a lot of space. The 32" was super overwhelming at first, but now I love it.
 
My old monitor was a 17". With the 27", I pretty much use it like two monitors, and it really doesn't seem that different. I'll use safari on one side, and itunes on the other. Other than having to look up a bit, it seems pretty comparable.
 
I was going back and forth between the 21.5 and 27 myself... the one thing I was worried about was sitting so close to the 27 at my desk.

I made cardboard cutouts as close to "actual size" as I could make it to compare the two sizes and it turns out I don't think it was as bad as I was originally thinking.


--rob
 
Jesus theres a lot of whining in here..

I cant stand people who says monitors or TVs are "too big" neither can EVER be too big....

Bigger IS better...

Reading some of the posts in this thread is like someone going "oh I just bought a Lamborghini but its too fast, I liked the exterior styling".

Pathetic! No its not to big, its a shame its not 30" like the cinema display which is now looking dated and old.

Roll on 55" screens or OLED screens which can be rolled out to cover my entire wall...

And its not too wide as someone said, its standard 16:9 screen, all TVs are in that proportion...if you think its too wide theres something wrong with your peripheral vision. I can see stuff either side of me about 12x further than I can see above or below me...if you see things in a box theres something wrong with your eyes!

Rant Over :apple:
 
dannys1: Some folks don't like sitting in the front row at the theatre. Same holds true for their computer screens. More screen size is NOT always better... It about proper "visual conformt" for the individual - young and old.

Talk about more... Sure hope Apple creates a OSX update that allows a person to increase their system's font sizes. On my Win XP machine, I currently use 24" screen with larger size fonts (re: instead of 96 DPI - I now run 126 DPI - which is 125% larger then normal). Large screen with larger size fonts (due to much tighter resolution screens) is amazing. Cannot wait for Mac OS x to have this future update. Having smaller size icons on a screen is as bad as sitting in the front row seats (that the theatre).

.
 
I went from a 17" G5 to the new 27" iMac and love it. Having two full pages open is a dream. And watching video is mind expanding.

Of course, I replaced the built-in stand with an articulating arm which allows the 27" iMac to soar weightlessly above my workspace and turns it into pretty much the Computer of the Future™ I had always dreamed of...
 
I'll chime in, since I have the 27" iMac and a 24" LED Cinema Display right next to it plugged into the iMac. I do sometimes find the 27" too big. I definitely found a 30" Cinema Display too big, and thought the 24" was just right. Because there's no way of adjusting the DPI in OS X, I find myself changing the font size in browsers (Command+) to increase the size of the text, and it can get annoying at times. Same with YouTube videos. Command+, Command+, Command+ all the darn time.

That said, for photo editing, - my primary use - , the 27" is perfect. I think it's a shame that you only have a choice of 21.5 and 27, as the 21.5" is a tad small, and the 27" is a little too big for general OS X usage.

I'm 29, fyi.
 
Kissaragi said:
Well i got my 27" i5 imac today and amazingly its in perfect condition.

Im finding the 27" screen a lot to take in though. Has anyone else felt uncomfortable using the 27" at first? do you get used to it quickly? I was happy with my old 20" screen and only really went for the 27 for the internal specs.
Click to expand...

i been using dell 3007 for two years, my impression of 27 imac screen, it is a bit too small.
30inch would be better, 42 inch would be best. i bet 30 inch imac will be a reality sooner or later.
 
I was originally concerned that 27" would be too big and was leaning toward the 21.5". I had been using a 21.5" monitor with my mac mini, so I figured that would be ideal. Ultimately, I went with the 27". I am definitely glad I did.
It has changed the way I work. I mainly now work in multiple windows, with my Slingbox Player running in one and my real work in the other. I love the extra space.
 
The way I look at it, the 27" is big- but the 21" is just too small, so the only option is the 27". I'm planning to pick up one of the i7's later this year- if there is talk of a 30" iMac coming when I'm ready to buy, I may hold off for a couple months.

I upgraded my PC monitor from a 19" to a 23.5" wide-screen over the holidays and while it was nice for a while, I'd love to have the 2560x1440 resolution for multitasking.

btw- I looked at the iMac on an Arm thread. That looks like an awesome solution. I will certainly be considering this when I get my machine.
 
ma2ha3 said:
i been using dell 3007 for two years, my impression of 27 imac screen, it is a bit too small.
30inch would be better, 42 inch would be best....
Click to expand...

who are you people? :confused:

I think the 24" for me was the sweet spot. trading real estate for increased pixel density, as in the 27's 109 ppi, is not going in the right direction for me.
 
eelpout said:
who are you people? :confused:

I think the 24" for me was the sweet spot. trading real estate for increased pixel desnsity, as in the 27's 109 ppi, is not going in the right direction for me.
Click to expand...

Yup, like I said. I own the 27" iMac and the 24" LED Cinema Display. I still prefer the size/shape of the 24", though it does look low res compared to the 27". :D
 
Pixel Size

The size of the pixels is somewhat less on the 27" than a 24" ACD. This means it's harder to read.
 
Spike88 said:
Talk about more... Sure hope Apple creates a OSX update that allows a person to increase their system's font sizes. On my Win XP machine, I currently use 24" screen with larger size fonts (re: instead of 96 DPI - I now run 126 DPI - which is 125% larger then normal). Large screen with larger size fonts (due to much tighter resolution screens) is amazing. Cannot wait for Mac OS x to have this future update. Having smaller size icons on a screen is as bad as sitting in the front row seats (that the theatre).

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Click to expand...

So true.
 
@ OP: 27" ain't too big. You get used to it and won't want to go smaller.

I have 30" ACDS as well as a 27 i7. And if  bought out a 32" LED, I'd buy it and not think it was too 'big'
 
The large screen size is great for multiple windows, photo viewing or movie editing. But, your browser window should be scaled to about 2/3rds of the screen width, or it will be too big for comfort.
 
senseless said:
The large screen size is great for multiple windows, photo viewing or movie editing. But, your browser window should be scaled to about 2/3rds of the screen width, or it will be too big for comfort.
Click to expand...

2/3rds? Wow - that's huge!

I find a little less than 1/2 the width of the 27" screen is plenty for a browser window.
 
WilliamG said:
I'll chime in, since I have the 27" iMac and a 24" LED Cinema Display right next to it plugged into the iMac. I do sometimes find the 27" too big. I definitely found a 30" Cinema Display too big, and thought the 24" was just right. Because there's no way of adjusting the DPI in OS X, I find myself changing the font size in browsers (Command+) to increase the size of the text, and it can get annoying at times. Same with YouTube videos. Command+, Command+, Command+ all the darn time.

That said, for photo editing, - my primary use - , the 27" is perfect. I think it's a shame that you only have a choice of 21.5 and 27, as the 21.5" is a tad small, and the 27" is a little too big for general OS X usage.

I'm 29, fyi.
Click to expand...

This echoes how I feel. I upgraded from a 24" iMac to the 27", and I find it way too large, as far as resolution -- not physical size. I love the 27" for gaming, but browsing the web and typing papers is annoying. I'm always zooming the browser just like you, and it annoys me that I have to constantly do that. I'm very disappointed because I really don't need the extra resolution of the 27", but I like the quality of the screen. I'm kind of stuck right now because I can't justify or afford a Mac Pro. I love the iMac hardware, but I wish they had kept the same DPI as the 24". I'm actually considering just building a PC and get a 24" Cinema Display. I was actually already in the process of doing that when the 27" iMac was announced.

Edit: I bought mine in October, and I still haven't adjusted to the higher resolution. So, time may not necessarily help you adjust.
 
I had the same

problem, I went from a 20hp wide screen to the iMac 27in, after the first few days I was set to take it back due to neckache, it stood approx 5 inches higher on my desk. I persevered )7 days today) and I have to say the neckache has all but gone.
 
Kissaragi said:
Well i got my 27" i5 imac today and amazingly its in perfect condition.

Im finding the 27" screen a lot to take in though. Has anyone else felt uncomfortable using the 27" at first? do you get used to it quickly? I was happy with my old 20" screen and only really went for the 27 for the internal specs.
Click to expand...

I had the same thing when I first used my 23" ACD. I got used to it after a while, and now could not have anything smaller for a desktop screen.

I do feel though when looking at the 27" imacs that they are a bit too much, but that might be again because I am not used to them, or perhaps that they are just too high a concentration of light

Another point is make sure you eyes are level with the TOP of the screen. Bad ergonomics can only end one way
 
student_trap said:
I had the same thing when I first used my 23" ACD. I got used to it after a while, and now could not have anything smaller for a desktop screen.

I do feel though when looking at the 27" imacs that they are a bit too much, but that might be again because I am not used to them, or perhaps that they are just too high a concentration of light

Another point is make sure you eyes are level with the TOP of the screen. Bad ergonomics can only end one way
Click to expand...

I haven't found anything for which the 27" screen is useful.
 
Spike88 said:
dannys1:

Talk about more... Sure hope Apple creates a OSX update that allows a person to increase their system's font sizes. On my Win XP machine, I currently use 24" screen with larger size fonts (re: instead of 96 DPI - I now run 126 DPI - which is 125% larger then normal). Large screen with larger size fonts (due to much tighter resolution screens) is amazing. Cannot wait for Mac OS x to have this future update. Having smaller size icons on a screen is as bad as sitting in the front row seats (that the theatre).

.
Click to expand...


Indeed, adjustable screen fonts for all apps would be very useful.
 
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