I was about to buy an iPad when I just saw it... text clarity is poor.

[iPagan]

As an Apple fanboy, I can absolutely confirm that there is a problem with text rendering on the iPad. For example, I have an alu unibody Macbook 13 -- whose pixel density is about 30% lower -- that is much clearer and easier on the eyes for reading text.

I suspect this is just a software problem with the rendering strategy, and can be worked out. It's acceptable as a reader, but nowhere near what it could, or should be.

I read about 800-1000 pages a week for my work, and I just can't get through it all on the iPad -- too exhausting. I put most of it on a Sony 505 reader for an efficient and painless reading experience.

My experience is just the opposite. The text in Safari and iBooks is fine on my iPad, but on my latest gen 13" MBP, it is HORRIBLE!!! It is blurry, jagged!!!

I wear reading glasses. Not very strong, however. 1.0 in one eye, and 0 in the other. When I put on my reading glasses, the text on the 13" MBP is just horrible! I have OS X 10.6.4 and Safari 5. Before the update, in 10.6.3 and Safari 4', the text SEEMS a little bit sharper!

I was blaming the low res of the 13" MBP--1200x800, but it seems that there is another possible cause to the problem--sub-pixel rendering.

The text on the iPad seems to be fine, when I put on the reading glasses.

 

[Piggie]

When people say they have issues with the text, they really need to explain what text in what app, as it could mean anything really.

Some things would have superb text, other things text so small you can hardly see it.

If you give an exact example, then others may be able to give an opinion of the same thing.

 

[MikhailT]

My experience is just the opposite. The text in Safari and iBooks is fine on my iPad, but on my latest gen 13" MBP, it is HORRIBLE!!! It is blurry, jagged!!!

I wear reading glasses. Not very strong, however. 1.0 in one eye, and 0 in the other. When I put on my reading glasses, the text on the 13" MBP is just horrible! I have OS X 10.6.4 and Safari 5. Before the update, in 10.6.3 and Safari 4', the text SEEMS a little bit sharper!

I was blaming the low res of the 13" MBP--1200x800, but it seems that there is another possible cause to the problem--sub-pixel rendering.

The text on the iPad seems to be fine, when I put on the reading glasses.

Why don't you try to change the font smoothing setting on OS X?

 

[iPagan]

Why don't you try to change the font smoothing setting on OS X?

Well, thank you for the response, first of all. But that is for external monitors, it seems. My problem is with the built-in LCD panel that comes with the 13" MBP. The text in Safari 5, Kindle for Mac, TextEdit, and Pages looks HORRRIBLE!!! Jagged, bleeding on the edges! As I said, I at first blamed the problem on the low res of the screen--1280x800, but after reading this thread, I realize there might be another cause to this problem: sub-pixel rendering.

Would like to know if there are other users on this board that use reading glasses and have found blurry text display on their 13" MBP's. I have not found problems with the text display on my iPad, as I said.

Thanks for the response, and actually I might start a thread in the Apple Support forum.

EDIT: The text display in iTunes(9.2) is HORRIBLE as well on the 13" MBP.

 

[saberahul]

Regarding the initial topic posted by the OP, I am quite sure you were looking at an iPhone application zoomed in at 2X. Other than that, I can only think of either poor eye sight (which would include me without my contacts). Do take a look at some of the applications designed mainly for the iPad such as ABC app itself. The display is quite stunning and impressive.

 

[hcho3]

Text clarity on the ipad is fine... Get yourself a glass.

 

[MikhailT]

Well, thank you for the response, first of all. But that is for external monitors, it seems. My problem is with the built-in LCD panel that comes with the 13" MBP. The text in Safari 5, Kindle for Mac, TextEdit, and Pages looks HORRRIBLE!!! Jagged, bleeding on the edges! As I said, I at first blamed the problem on the low res of the screen--1280x800, but after reading this thread, I realize there might be another cause to this problem: sub-pixel rendering.

Would like to know if there are other users on this board that use reading glasses and have found blurry text display on their 13" MBP's. I have not found problems with the text display on my iPad, as I said.

Thanks for the response, and actually I might start a thread in the Apple Support forum.

EDIT: The text display in iTunes(9.2) is HORRIBLE as well on the 13" MBP.

No, it's for all displays. The third party displays mentioned in that article is just a SL bug for third party monitors, but the command itself applies to all monitors including the built in panel.

You didn't say if you did use it because it sound like you didn't.

 

[scenemissing]

Seriously strange the way people are jumping on the OP, like he is a terrible kiddy fiddler for having a complaint about the iPad pixel density. I had a similar complaint. Reading this thread and then doing some testing leads me to believe that it's mainly (at least for me) a problem with safari in portrait mode. Text looks significantly better in landscape, even once you scale it back down to account for the orientation switch.

And if I use the Facebook app blown up to full iPad size using the Fullforce jailbreak extension the text looks fine in portrait. Hopefully it can be dealt with in a future sw release.

 

[iPagan]

No, it's for all displays. The third party displays mentioned in that article is just a SL bug for third party monitors, but the command itself applies to all monitors including the built in panel.

You didn't say if you did use it because it sound like you didn't.

After reading this post, I tried that command line in Terminal, using actually -int 3, the highest. But I did NOT see any difference in text clarity in the apps that I mentioned.

Hope I am not thread-jacking; just reporting a similar problem on the new 13" MBP, when reading glasses, albeit low powered, are employed.

 

[doug in albq]

...Not to mention the fact that on top of that, most of Apple's font rendering technology is still inferior to ClearType.

whoa there, you are stating that opinion as if it is a fact.

 

[chris8535]

whoa there, you are stating that opinion as if it is a fact.

Ok, a widely held and defensible position, but not a fact.

 

[phoobo]

My experience is just the opposite. The text in Safari and iBooks is fine on my iPad, but on my latest gen 13" MBP, it is HORRIBLE!!! It is blurry, jagged!!!

I wear reading glasses. Not very strong, however. 1.0 in one eye, and 0 in the other. When I put on my reading glasses, the text on the 13" MBP is just horrible! I have OS X 10.6.4 and Safari 5. Before the update, in 10.6.3 and Safari 4', the text SEEMS a little bit sharper!

I was blaming the low res of the 13" MBP--1200x800, but it seems that there is another possible cause to the problem--sub-pixel rendering.

The text on the iPad seems to be fine, when I put on the reading glasses.

First you should try a color calibration -- without the glasses is better (the calibration is easiest to do when you're squinting a bit -- not kidding). And yes, adjust font smoothing.

There is variation among MB screens; I've never seen an MBA, for example, that was truly readable long-term. So I'm sure there is a hardware component involved, but the point is that OS X is capable, with the right hardware, of good rendering. The iPad does not do it the same way.

 

[colmaclean]

For me, the iPad's resolution is okay. Smaller text does get pixelated, but there are simple work-arounds (zoom in!).

The display would be perfect if I could easily read a PDF document in Goodreader's landscape double-page mode. However, this would require a Retina-quality screen on the iPad, which is still some time off...

 

[magiclaffs]

Clarity

And I really don't get why the text clarity is poor because at 132dpi it has enough pixels that text should look great. It almost looks as if Safari wasn't retooled to provide better clarity for the screen resolution because the text clarity looks better on my iPod touch.

I've read Stephen King's The Stand on the Ipad, along with several others. Clarity in the fonts depends on the document if you're reading PDF's or epubs. With the Epubs you can change the font type and size. My eyes never got tired in several sessions lasting several hours.

I've given up reading books on my Iphone since the Ipad came out.

 

[fjfjfjfj]

I love that there is a contact lens advert at the bottom of this thread!

 

[MikhailT]

After reading this post, I tried that command line in Terminal, using actually -int 3, the highest. But I did NOT see any difference in text clarity in the apps that I mentioned.

Hope I am not thread-jacking; just reporting a similar problem on the new 13" MBP, when reading glasses, albeit low powered, are employed.

defaults -currentHost read -globalDomain AppleFontSmoothing

What does that return?

Try 4, that's what I have on my system.

 

[iPagan]

defaults -currentHost read -globalDomain AppleFontSmoothing

What does that return?

Try 4, that's what I have on my system.

3.

I then tried 4; still no noticeable difference.

I appreciate the help, but I also don't want to drag this thing long.

EDIT: I have also calibrated the color on the LCD screen, still the same result.

 

[sananda]

The problem is simply with the font rendering in the iPad, not with its resolution. At present, it does not match the clarity of OS X (which we normally view on machines with much lower ppi).

I think software can solve this problem -- but admittedly there is a problem.

I'm having problems with text in Safari on my iPad and I have no such problems with my iBook which is no higher resolution and at a similar distance from my eyes.