Eye strain

I recently purchased a MBA 13". This is my first Apple computer. I noticed right away that my eyes hurt when viewing the screen for longer than 10 minutes at a time. What's strange is that it even hurts when viewing on an external monitor (this doesn't make sense to me).
I've tried all the normal stuff...calibrated the screen, adjusted contrast/brightness, etc. I've increased font size in Safari, decreased it, etc. Nothing seems to solve the problem. Are there other suggestions I could try?
I love this machine and want it to work out, but I can't work everyday with my eyes hurting.

Since moving to the external display doesn't make a difference, assuming this is the same display you were using before you bought the MacBook Air, maybe the problem is the size of the text. Some programs (like Microsoft Word) let you either set a default font size or magnification). I used Safari preferences in the Advanced tab to set a minimum font size in the browser. These things help me quite a bit.

Similar Messages

Anyone with eye strain problem after upgrading to Yosemite please report feedback to Apple

As this eye strain problem is getting worse and basically I love some new Yosemite features, so please let Apple knows if this new upgrade have some display problems. I am using iMac 27" late 2013. this eye strain problem doesn't occur when using Mavericks (my mac is dual boot Maverick <-> Yosemite)
https://www.apple.com/feedback/
Thanks in advance.

Perform the following, stopping with the first one which works:
1. Open the Mac App Store's Purchases tab. If you're prompted to accept it and the other iLife/iWork applications into your Apple ID, do so.
2. Move them out of the Applications folder(they may need to be put into the Trash temporarily), and then see if you can download them for free from their individual product pages. If you're asked to buy them, see #3.
3. Click here, contact Apple, and wait for a response.
4. Buy them.
(116660)

Is there a way to have hardware acceleration without the text font change? + Eye straining firefox!

Is there a way to have hardware acceleration without the text font change? I remember there was a way to go into settings before and getting hardware acceleration to work without the font change. Unfortunately I lost ALL my previous setting when uninstalling the beta ver Nightly and clicking delete settings :(.
Also, I fixed a problem before where firefox was visually eye straining to me, I think it was some settings in anti-alias tuner, but I cant seem to find the right settings that puts less strain on my eyes, anyone know? Thanks ahead. Currently using FF7.

Try to toggle some Boolean gfx.font_rendering prefs on the about:config page to disable some features.<br />
Filter: gfx
Others to try:
* set gfx.direct2d.disabled to true to disable Direct2D
*Anti-Aliasing Tuner: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/anti-aliasing-tuner/

MBPr flickering on bright backgrounds? (causing eye strain)

Hey guys,
I got my MBr two days ago and so far I am quite satisfied but since yesterday I have to struggle with a display issue that causes bad eye strain (didn't pay enough attention before I guess). It seems to flicker pretty hard, but not that kind of flickering you would be able to record with a cam. It's more of a subtle effect that appears worst when the background is white or grey. It starts when booting into Mac OS (apple logo appears) and is 100% on the hardware end (everything was reset). I used to work on a macbook pro 13 (early 2011) and could use it for hours without any eye fatigue or anything else. Same for the ipad. But with the MBPr it doesnt work for me. It has nothing to do with resolution! Tried that already.
I see the flickering and with the time my eyes start to burn, it gets hard to (eye-) focus and headache starts. After trying (too) hard I feel quite down now and when I check on my ipad or old notebook I still see the flickering...
I have seen another thread in here with users having their displays replaced. I am not sure though whether they experienced the same issue.
Thanks in advance.
Best regards from Germany,
Martin

I just bought a 15" retina today and noticed the eye strain as well. That's how I came across this topic. I went in to display in settings and color and did a calibrate. I change the gamma from 2.2 to 1.8 and will see if this will help. Why don't you try that out and let me know if it works for you. Makes the contrast a little brighter so it may help.
Let me know.

Eye strain= burning, red/bloodshop, itching eyes after working hours

I've been working on my macbook everyday for hours and have been experiencing significant eye strain. After a nights sleep, eyes are better. Yet, after working on the computer after a few hours....it comes back. This has never happened before and am wondering if it's the type of display/lighting.
I read some other posts and decided to try and calibrate. I changed the lighting to yellowish for graphic work.
Has anyone else noticed this problem. I thought it might be from the smaller 13" screen, which I've never used before. Always used a much bigger screen.
Any words of wisdom out there?

A small number of people do report having issues with the LED backlighting used in modern LCD displays. This is "believed" to be due to the way the LEDs are dimmed. LED dimming is actually simulated by blinking the LEDs on and off very quickly (as they can't actually dim in the truest sense). The frequency changes based on the dimmed level. With the display at full brightness, the LEDs are generally constantly "on". Some people believe the rapid flashing, even though not detectable, is causing the problem for them. You may want to try your display at full brightness to see if that helps. I haven't seen any significant research on the topic so pretty much everything is hearsay.

New macbook air eye strain

I used the 2010 model macbook pro 13 inch for the last two year...sometimes up to 12 hours a day with NO issues at all.
thursday I switched to a new macbook air 13 inch. Now I get horrible eye strain and a headache after 20-30 minutes.
Any ideas on what I can do to fix this? are the displays different?
If it doesn't get better i'll have to return the device. Its that bad!
Any help is MUCH appreciated

Hey jss. Well, same results at 1920x1200 as when the MBPr is in the retina display setting (1440x900). My vision gets blurry after working for a few hours when I look around at anything other then the laptop. It takes about 30 mins away from the computer to get my eyes to sort of refocus. And then left with a mild headache the rest of the day. So, I've decided to return it.
What is confusing to me is that if my eyes have a problem with the LED backlite and this screen tech has been in place since the overhaul in 2009 (???), why don't I have problems when working on my early 2011 17" MBP? Maybe its simply due to the 17" of space. After carrying around the MBPr, I don't want to return to lugging around this beast again. I'm going to check into the anti-glare 15.4 since I believe it uses different tech for the screen.
There are more threads on this subject in the forum, so it seems its something Apple should spend some time researching. It may not be a huge problem, but the number of people complaining about this problem seems to be on the rise.

Slightly misled & eye strain - Macbook Retina Display

Anyone else feel slightly misled over the new macbook "retina" display? Highest resolution ever in a laptop etc.
Well it isn't it's still basically the same 1440x900 desktop as my old macbook even if it is underpinned by 4 x the pixels.
If I deviate from the 1440 by upping the resolution to 1920 then the picture is not that sharp and I get eye strain.
I also run a Sony Vaio Z11 with a 1080p display (1920x1080) and that is on a 13" display and use that all day every day without problems.
Is it the off pitch resolution that is causing the problem, ie 1.5 pixels per desktop pixel thats causing the eye strain?

Unfortunately, the problem wasn't due to the glossy quality of the screen as I had purchased a hi-res anti-glare. I will probably put an anti-glare film on the retina display if I make the purchase, as I also find glossiness to be annoying. I do find it very interesting that you can use your matte LED screen for so long without trouble. I wish I could have said the same, but 15 minutes on my returned 2011 LED matte Pro left me with headaches and strained eyes. From reading the other large thread, it seems that some people are just more sensitive to the LED. Thanks for the response though!

Eye strain on Mac Pro late 2013

Hi guys,
I Have a problem with my Mac Pro late 2013. After few hours of work my eyes start to hurt really badly, my head hurts also. I am working on Dell U2713HM, few days ago I changed it for a pair of u2312 Dell monitors and I feel the eye strain again. When I try to work on my Asus laptop using the same monitor I don't have a problem. I tryed all the advices on the web for eye strain regarding monitor configuration but it has no effect. Also i can see the image on the monitor isn't rendering properly for example when I open an image there is always some square parts randomly missing.
Do I have a graphic card problem, monitor problem or something else.
Any experiences anybod, please help.

I agree I tried a little Google and came up with this site maybe something to look at https://discussion.evernote.com/topic/47161-mac-evernote-clip-rectangle-control- command-c-not-working/page-2 and there seems more have problems thoug not with Mac Pro MBP Retina: Poor image quality from hdmi output
and here http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1235305
Hope something of this will help. To me it seem that there is a communicate problems between Mac Pro and The monitor.

Reducing Eye Strain for Constant Users ~

How does one correct for extreme eye strain and possible damage to the eyes and vision? Have tried the glasses with no success. Have searched the Apple site for glare screens and found none.
I am asking for my daughter who has a new Mac Tower, is in online school for web development, and is having extreme eye problems from extended time on the computer with a very large monitor. This is her profession and help is needed.
What is a "hood"? And would one help? Couldn't find anything for Mac. Does anyone know where we can find high quality glasses or glare screens? Has anyone had this problem and solved it successfully?
Thank you,
Cyan

One consideration may be the use of an overly-bright display affecting vision
over an extended period of time; years of staring into a computer screen may
add up to issues later on in life, if not more immediate discomfort/health issues.
While I have not bought them, there are static cling films and other products to
help protect the screen as well as eyes. One company I had contacted years
ago had been one of the innovators; and I still have a link to their site. It shows
protective film, hoods, and cleaning products. They used to offer custom sized
films to reduce glare as well as protect the soft-surfaced LCD panels, etc.
http://www.photodon.com/ - similar products have come and gone.
For some ultra-bright new flat panel screens, some users have opted to get & try
methods of dimming the panel further low, than the Brightness control could go.
A few third-party software tools are out there to add control for overly-bright LCDs.
There should be links to some solutions and maybe too many ads, via a search.
A few brightness control software items out there (free or share-ware) may darken
a display by a method which changes the colors of light and not by turning down
the actual brightness of the panel behind the LCD; so this may not be a longterm
answer if the display is also running brightly, and your color scheme is not correct.
http://www.charcoaldesign.co.uk/shades - they're out there; untested by me. ie:
http://www.splasm.com/products/productbrightness.html
Good luck & happy computing!
+{ edited }+

Any remedy for eye strain using macbook pro retina?

since purchasing a macbook pro retina display around 33 weeks ago I'm getting major eye strain from using it and I'm not talking excessively,only an hour or two at a time,trying reducing the brightness but still no better,anybody else had success with this problem?as i know others have had same issue

I can only tell you my experience after having used the anti-glare screen for over 5 years. I can sit in front of my laptop for hours without any adverse effects. I passed on the retina Macbook Pro because it seems like an abomination not to offer such a beautiful screen in anti-glare format. The retina is less glossy than the regular screen, but nowhere close to the anti-glare in comfort (for me, at least).
I would check with her doctor, too. It may actually be that a screen with a smaller native resolution is better for her.

Reducing Eye Strain in OS X Yosemite

I use the OS X Finder a lot in my work and though I have perfect vision I'm finding that I'm getting severe eye strain with Yosemite that I never had with previous releases of OS X. I mean my eyes get physically red and I have to take a break so they can recover, which interrupts my productivity. I thought maybe the faded low-contrast grey text on white that's everywhere in Yosemite might be to blame so I turned on Increase Contrast in the Accessibility section of System Preferences, but then things (especially the Dock) get super ugly like this:
The file attributes in Finder (like Date Modified, Size, etc.) are a little more readable this way, but at a glance it's hard to see which window is actually in the foreground. All they greys just blend together. I get maybe an extra hour of usability before my eye strain hits hard, but it's just not a pleasant user experience which Apple used to be masters at. I mean aesthetics aside, it's simply a usability issue for me.
By contrast, I could use older versions of OS X for hours on end with absolutely no eye strain. I think it has to do with the use of color, depth, and contrast:
I mean even the scroll bars quickly clue the eye into seeing which application window has input focus.
I know this strange low-contrast look is all the rage for some reason, but it's killing my productivity. I guess my question would be, is there a setting I can turn on to have more contrast and a little color in the interface without everything turning into a monochrome flat look circa 1980's?
Even with the Increase Contrast setting on, there are places where the font is still super low contrast and almost unreadable. For example, when launching applications, Yosemite looks like this:
The text displayed under the icons is super low contrast. Is there a separate Increase Contrast setting which will make this text more readable? I mean it used to be super clear like this:
We use all Macs in the office I work in, and other people are having the same usability issue with Yosemite. Fortunately we still have a lot of Macs in the office running older versions of OS X, but we need a way to eventually move forwards with Apple in a way that does not compromise our productivity. I understand Apple feels a need to change things up to look "new", but isn't there some "usability" setting for people like me who need to get real work done and who use their computers for long period of time?
Thanks!

I only lasted about a day or so. Frustrating.
I've just sent this to http://www.apple.com/feedback/
(If you have a problem, don't forget this step so Apple actually hears about your issue.)
Dear Apple, I've never done this before but I downgraded after finding the Yosemite OS frustratingly difficult. The first thing I noticed was when “flat" window borders were invisible against the background colour of a webpage I opened.
I'm getting past 45 and my vision isn't great but suddenly, with this upgrade, I strained to see basic design elements. Without contrast and colour, it is hard to find buttons, hard to tell icons apart, and very hard to read text. I don’t have a problem with one aesthetic over another, but I couldn’t use the computer.
It's a new feeling to wonder if I won't be capable of using future Apple products. I hadn't really thought about that before. I hope something can be done to make the next version easier for those who have real problems with this one.
I really do hope some of these things can be addressed. I feel like somebody's design opinion is making my computer actually unusable. If I cannot read the text, the computer is broken, or I am, but I hope it's easier to fix the computer.

I need honest oppinions on EYE STRAIN FROM IPAD

hello ,
I am planning to get an Ipad and I would use it lots to read.
Please tell me if you suffer from eyestrain, and also how long u read on it.
If you had KINDLE or other e-ink reader , tell me which one you think is better.
I appreciate all oppinions!
many thx
Anteros

I can't comment on a Kindle hardware device but I am surprised to find that the iPad works well for me as a reader. I expected to miss holding a physical book and was concerned about eye strain. I find I must turn the screen brightness down quite a lot - particularly at night. You can do this directly in iBooks but I haven't yet found a way to do it in the Kindle app. WIth the brightness way down, it doesn't seem to strain my eyes.
The iPad's glossy screen can be a bit of a nuisance outside in the sun.
The Kindle store has loads more titles in it than iBooks but the shopping experience feels disjointed in comparison because you are sent out of the Kindle app to the website. Great thing about the iPad is that you can run both
As others have commented, the multipurpose nature of the iPad makes it a winner for me when compared to a fixed function reader.

Thinkpad 8 tablet - eye strain

I just got the Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 8, and everytime I use it, in less then a few minutes I would get eye strains. I would get this "crawling" headache inside my head, I don't know how to describe it, feel a bit like burning feeling inside my eyes/head. Even when I stopped looking at the screen, it would take a few minutes for the eye strain to disappear. Its not painful, just that it is definitely eye strain and causing me a lot of discomfort. And this really frustrates me because I love this tablet. Here are some background about me and eye strains. Ever since the display technology shifted from CCFL's LCD to LED backlight, I started to get eye strains whenever I looked at certain (LED backlit) laptops, tablets and even smartphones. I first discovered the problem when I replaced my old CCFL LCD display laptop with a new LED-backlit display (Lenovo T420s). Using the Lenovo in just a few minutes I get eye strains and headache. After researching online and experimenting with mobile phone camera, I discovered that the cause of the eye strain is PWM, and putting the brightness to 100% eliminates the flickering, thus no more eye strain. But I had to reduce the contrast to artificially reduce the brightness so that I can use the laptop without blinding me. So I know that I am affected by PWM, and any display that uses PWM causes eye strain for me. But at least I know how to detect it (by using cell phone camera), and I can do something about it (set brightness to 100% to eliminate the PWM flicker). I did the camera test to detect PWM flickering on the Thinkpad 8 as described in this website: http://www.flatpanelshd.com/focus.php?subaction=showfull&id=1362457985 and the Thinkpad 8 does not seem to have PWM (i tested it at 50% brightness). So if the Thinkpad 8 tablet do not have PWM, yet when I use them, why do I still get eye strain? This is what puzzles me. Are there other causes of eye strain apart from PWM? I dont know if this would help, but here are some background on the type of devices that cause and don't cause eye strains to me: I have no problems with these displays and can use them for hours and hours:CRT monitorsAny CCFL LCDs monitorsBlackberry 9700, 9900, iPad 2iPad miniAny Super LCD2/LCD3 display (e.g. HTC One, HTC Desire etc)But if I look at the following LED-backlit displays even for a few minutes, I get eye strains, and have this "crawling" headache inside my head:Lenovo T420s laptop (if brightness less than 100%)Lenovo Thinkpad Tablet 8 (any brightness)Any Samsung's Super Amoled smartphones (e.g. S3, S4 etc, at any brightness, even 100%)So now I am trying to find if the Lenovo Thinkpad 8 dispay has some other "features" that causes eye strain, and see if there is something that can be done to solve / work around it (like the 100% brightness thing). I've been reading online about causes of eye strains, and this is what I have gathered as potential causes of eye strains: Brightness - glare from screen too bright (natural cause and effect)Looking at the screen too long (eye fatigue (natural cause and effect)PWM flickering - setting brightness to 100% can solve this problemBlue light - can use software like f.lux to make the colour temperature to be warmerThose are the main ones. But I have also read the following also can cause eye strain: Aggressive / excessive IPS AG coating FRC ditheringFor IPS AG coating, how to detect if the AG coating is "good" or "bad"? I looked at my Lenovo Thinkpad 8, and I have no idea what to look for, let alone what to do about it. Same goes for FRC dithering. Could someone explain to me what it is, how it is used, how to detect it and what can I do if my display has this? Or does anyone knows other potential causes of eye strains? And by the way, anybody else suffering from eye strains when using the Thinkpad 8?

Puppy wrote:
It is likely the low PWM that you are suffering from or it might be the subpixel structure of particular panel. AMOLED displays use PenTile matrix that has issue with text readability .Unfortunately current mass production focused on cutting costs in favour of weak technical quality does not give you many options There might be also various revisions of the same LCD panel that have worse brigthness control regarding PWM control that others. Personally I understand you because I am very picky on choosing LCD monitor. It is a nightmare for me just to imagine I would have to spent at least one month again by trying to find shops where I can see the monitor under normal light conditions. There are too many aspects of LCD monitors that annoys me (flickering, screen door effect, too high lowest brightness, uneven backlight, blurry coating etc.) Another thing the might cause the eye strain is anti-aliasing blurry font rendering. I am unable to use it at all in any form (unless there are 1000 DPI or more desktop displays available) but turning it completely off in current software and OS is not easy. It is summarized in this article http://annystudio.com/misc/anti-aliased-fonts-hurt/ You may be right. It could still be PWM. Even though I tested with camera and cannot detect PWM (maybe I did the test wrong), the PWM might still be there but on higher frequency, which might be why it did not appear on camera, yet this PWM still causing me eye strain. It seems like there might more potential source of eye strains...anti-aliasing font. A screen could have a number of these elements that can cause eye strain causes. It is getting harder and harder for me to buy any electronics that uses LED backlit display. Recently I tried to look at some laptops, most of them, the screen gives me headache. Buying a laptop and even a tablet now is getting harder, for people who are sensitive to PWM like me. Sigh. You are also sensitive to PWM, right? And you get eye strain from LED backlit monitors too? Can you share what devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops etc) that you can use without a problem, and which ones are giving you eye strains. At least we can see if there is some patterns that can help us shed more light on this issue.

Logic 8 eye strain tiny fonts

Hi. I got my Logic 8 upgrade the other day. After using it for 2 hours my eyes look like someone punched me. Am I the only one to get eye strain from the tiny tiny fonts that apple has used? Is there anything I can do to remedy this? I can't see a way of changing the font size. Any one else have this problem?

Just finished a day of using logic and I have to say it is unuseable for me. My eyes are O.K. and I can use laptops all day without any problem, but I think the fonts in logic are so small it's just too much of a strain. I will have to go back to crap cubase 4 - reluctantly because it's completely unstable.

Eye strain - tiny little fonts!!!

Hi. I've been using logic 8 for a few hours today and I've already got eye strain from the tiny little fonts they have used. I have good eyesight and have been using my mac for days on end with no problems, but the size of the text in logic really does take the biscuit!! does anyone else have this problem?
Is there any way of changing in the font size? Any other workaround. I have never seen a programs with such ridiculously small text!!!

Just finished a day of using logic and I have to say it is unuseable for me. My eyes are O.K. and I can use laptops all day without any problem, but I think the fonts in logic are so small it's just too much of a strain. I will have to go back to crap cubase 4 - reluctantly because it's completely unstable.

Eye strain from screen

I have purchased a refurbished mac and I seem to be getting a great deal of eye strain. I have tried 2 different lcd monitors, reduced glare, tried the mac in different rooms, reset PRAM, re-sat the graphics card, recuded the brightness, calibrated the display settings and I'm still having problems.
I've taken the mac to the apple store genius bar and at first glance they didn't notice any problems, they said they could take it in for further inspection but I didn't really have the time.
I have have never had a problem like this with a pc or mac ever so I'm convinced its the graphics card, anything else anyone can suggest?

Fair enough.
Do you know specifically what is causing the strain or what it is that is unsettling about the image? Is it possible that the image is zoomed? Command-option-8 zooms the image in and then back out again.
Do you have font smoothing turned on?

Eye strain

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