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infamousjeff | April 16, 2009 06:23 PM | in Monitors

My Dad has vision trouble using his laptop. I know I can increase the DPI. But would an external monitor be a better way to go?

He's recently retired and been introduced to social media and he's hooked :)
He has had a cornea transplant and two cataracts removed.
The notebook he's using has a 16inch screen running at 1280x800. OS: Windows Vista -- The DPI options he has available are the default and 120.

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BEST ANSWER chosen by asker | chameleon131 | April 17, 2009 12:58 AM

While it might not end up looking quite as crisp to your eyes, if size is what you're going for, I'd recommend going with a combination of a moderately-sized monitor (19 inchs+, larger the better) set to a lower resolution than what the monitor actually is. Make sure to keep in mind aspect ratios though, so you don't stretch the screen one way or the other.

Using this method has a few advantages over increasing the DPI and using the magnifier. Increasing the DPI can cause certain applications to write text larger than the area is that is meant to hold it, causing the text to run into areas that you can't read. Using the magnifier is a bit tedious and manual in my opinion. A decrease in resolution (stretched to fill the whole screen, as it will by default) is a much more predictable and stable method of enlarging text.

Asker's rating:

This is the feedback I was looking for. I'm thankful to all who answered and suggested built-in OS features, however I already knew about those options I was looking for advice if the case where those options(DPI, accessibility options) just didn't do the job.

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mrnemo | April 16, 2009 06:47 PM

I suggest a fairly large monitor running at a relatively low resolution. The Acer monitors are very cheap these days and I've never had a problem with them. If you have a CompUSA in your area, you can walk in and get a large monitor these days for around $150.
http://www.compusa.com/applications/searchtools/item-Details.asp?EdpNo=3883448&sku=A179-2240&cm_re=Homepage-_-Spot%2001a-_-CatId_12_A179-2240
When he is unable to use an external monitor, he can use the integrated Microsoft Magnifier

http://origin.arstechnica.com/reviews/os/pretty-vista.media/magnifier-wpf_resized.jpg See instructions here:
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/training/windowsvista/magnifier.aspx

Also, some of the Microsoft mice have a "magnifier button" so you can easily pull up the magnifier when needed.
http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouseandkeyboard/productdetails.aspx?pid=041

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infamousjeff | April 18, 2009 06:27 AM

mrnemo your answer was well thought out and excellent but wasn't the best solution in my particular case. But definitely good advice for anyone with vision problems. If I could pick two BEST answers I would of picked you as well. But since I can't select two I have tipped you the amount you would of received had I selected you as the best answer. The reason I did not pick your answer as the best is because I was looking for an alternative in case accessibility options like you mentioned in your answer didn't do the job. That's why I posted under the Monitor's section since I knew there'd be some good geeks with actionable knowledge. :) Thanks to everyone who answered. Thanks to Mahalo for having the best Answer space on the Web.

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oboewan | April 16, 2009 07:24 PM

I suggest using Microsoft Magnifier and, if that doesn't work, a bigger monitor (or a TV-out cable).

Also, try the Accessibility section of Control Panel before trying to change the DPI. It has a plethora of options that you can set, like large, high-contrast fonts, big icons, etc.

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