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iMac headache / eyestrain

W

Wisp

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 21, 2010
2
0
My iMac gives me a terrible headache. I have to sometimes take a two week break from even looking at the screen and let my eye nerves "reset" a bit. I can feel it behind my eyes right now as I type this.

I never had this in my life with my PC. I even would sit in the dark and work with no problems.

Anyone else have this with iMac and did you do something to make the situation better?
 
if that desnt help and you got a 27" , then just sit further back , because if you sit as close as with a normal small monitor its like looking into the sun at close distance even with brighness down to minimum , i sound ridiculous , but i could not sit in front of the 27" when i fitted a second harddrive for a mate is twas just too bright even at lowest brightness , it became more comphy and relaxing for the eyes when i sat back on the couch about 10 feet away ,guess thats why the iMac comes with wireless keyboard and mouse :rolleyes:
 
Assuming you have the 27" iMac I understand what you are saying as I had one. A few suggestions. First, lower the brightness to less than half strength. Second, and this may sound ridiculous to many, but change the resolution to 1920 x 1080. This resolution is so much easier on the eyes. Even if you do not need to strain to use the native resolution, over time your eyes will get tied and strained - especially if you are older. Third, make sure there is nothing bright in back of you that causes glare. Having your eye focus through glare will cause strain.

The above is what I had to do with my iMac. I know it seems pointless to have a high res monitor and not use it at its native resolution. I agree so I sold mine last month, bought a 15" iMac and a 26" NEC monitor. I am a photographer so the NEC monitor is so much better, it is a very wide gamut, 12-bit LUT for colors, no-glare so I don't see a sexy monitor I see the colors and shadow details that are the file. It is 25.5" and 1920 x 1200 and I can look at the monitor all day without my eyes hurting. This was an expensive move but I get the best of all worlds.

Hope that helps
 
Ok guys. I turned the brightness down, removed the outer glass panel. I can't sit further away and never needed to with my large PC monitor.

Still headaches.

I will do what one poster suggested and purchase a lower resolution matte NEC monitor or something like that and turn my Imac screen off for good.

The overlay films to stick to the screen are no good. I investigated them and they cause a prismatic effect. It is not nearly as good as having a matte LCD monitor.
 
Still headaches.

I will do what one poster suggested and purchase a lower resolution matte NEC monitor or something like that and turn my Imac screen off for good.

Yeah, it's about those small fonts. Even with glasses you might be able to see them clearly but your eyes are still working to focus which is okay for short periods but over time it hurts - especially if you need to focus through the glare.

Here's a tip. The 27" imac has a pixel density of about 110 pixels at its native resolution. So does a regular 15" MBP but the difference is that a laptop is closer so the relative size is greater. A large monitor needs to be pushed back at least far enough so you can see either side by moving your eyes, not your head. That far back makes things look small. The previous 24" iMac (1900 x 1200 pixels) had a pixel density of 94 pixels and could be positioned a little bit closer. My NEC has the same resolution (1920 x 1200) but is 26" (25.5") so the pixel density is 89 (both of these use the 16:10 golden ratio instead of the new 16:9 ratio). I suggest considering either a used 24" AC (for about $599) or just get away from glare since the combo gives you headaches and find a 24" non-glossy external - ideally the 16:10 ratio since that ratio is taller vertically. Whatever you do you need to get something else since you will not get used this. NEC monitors are top shelf but might be more than most people need.

Here's a list of some from B&H Photo. LaCie, NEC and Eizo are top shelf, the HP2475W might be nice ad is priced right but it is a high gamut monitor and calibration is critical. The NEC PA241 is a a great choice but is also high gamut. The NEC 2490 is normal gamut and can be found on ebay as a refurb for about $600. I am a photographer so I know my monitors.
 
Sorry to hear this. Do a search and you will see that I had the same problems with the 27"

I had to return mine.

Gone back to a 21" and happy
 
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