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tvg · 02-26-2012, 10:02 AM

So the following may sound very pedantic, but I am going to do it anyway :-)

Neal, I question your initial statement:
it boils down to that you have been on computers for a long time now, and that screens producing light give you a grave discomfort (headache) while e-ink screens do not.

I have looked into this (also for coworkers) repeatedly, and I am myself somebody with problems with my eyes (need strong glasses) and use computers for > 8 hours a day, and have been doing this for the past 25 years, also experience with reading on ipad and e-ink readers

Physically, light is light, reflective (as with e-ink) or emissive ( as with lcd screens) so the emission can phisycally NOT be the problem.

however:
99% of the people have their lcd screen more then 50% too bright! considering the contrast in the vicinity (background) of their screen, and there could be numerous other reasons, including psychological why using an LCD in a certain way makes you hurt

so, not denying that there could be something going on that I have no clue about (and there many such things :-) I would suggest some more experimentation with LCD-screens:

put the backlighting waaaaaay down (around 30%) and use a high contrast theme
take care that the space behind your screen is at least as well lighted (brightness) as the white on your screen (contrast switching makes your head hurt)
maybe the fast switching of windows that can be done on an lcd gives you headaches, therfor try using everything fullscreen, and try to work on one task having all windows needed for that task visible. not too much task switching, did you consider that the current "slowness"of e-ink screens might give you the needed rest?
make all fonts bigger so that you do not have to squint,
put the screen at a good distance, I have had problems putting the screen close: it makes the muscles in your eyes have to work hard to point to the objects realatively close, while if the screen is further away, the eye axis can be more parallel--> less work for the muscle

once again: just trying to be helpfull, because I have really strong feelings against arguments that seem physically not true. (disclaimer again: there might be something goimng on that I do not understand)

02-26-2012, 10:02 AM	#9
tvg Member Posts: 15 Karma: 42 Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: netherlands Device: iphone and ipad	but but but...... So the following may sound very pedantic, but I am going to do it anyway :-) Neal, I question your initial statement: it boils down to that you have been on computers for a long time now, and that screens producing light give you a grave discomfort (headache) while e-ink screens do not. I have looked into this (also for coworkers) repeatedly, and I am myself somebody with problems with my eyes (need strong glasses) and use computers for > 8 hours a day, and have been doing this for the past 25 years, also experience with reading on ipad and e-ink readers Physically, light is light, reflective (as with e-ink) or emissive ( as with lcd screens) so the emission can phisycally NOT be the problem. however: 99% of the people have their lcd screen more then 50% too bright! considering the contrast in the vicinity (background) of their screen, and there could be numerous other reasons, including psychological why using an LCD in a certain way makes you hurt so, not denying that there could be something going on that I have no clue about (and there many such things :-) I would suggest some more experimentation with LCD-screens: put the backlighting waaaaaay down (around 30%) and use a high contrast theme take care that the space behind your screen is at least as well lighted (brightness) as the white on your screen (contrast switching makes your head hurt) maybe the fast switching of windows that can be done on an lcd gives you headaches, therfor try using everything fullscreen, and try to work on one task having all windows needed for that task visible. not too much task switching, did you consider that the current "slowness"of e-ink screens might give you the needed rest? make all fonts bigger so that you do not have to squint, put the screen at a good distance, I have had problems putting the screen close: it makes the muscles in your eyes have to work hard to point to the objects realatively close, while if the screen is further away, the eye axis can be more parallel--> less work for the muscle once again: just trying to be helpfull, because I have really strong feelings against arguments that seem physically not true. (disclaimer again: there might be something goimng on that I do not understand)