The Windows and Windows Software Megathread

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Data: Jan 11, 2005

Just spent ~5 hours attempting an install. After numerous freezes and blue screens (the various internet fixes re: ACPI/USBs didn't work), I'm left with XP and 20Gbs of windows 7 files that I can't loving delete no matter what.

Ughh, gently caress this. Having a lovely install experience kills any enthusiasm I have for a new OS.

# ¿ May 17, 2009 11:54

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# ¿ May 7, 2024 13:18

Data: Jan 11, 2005

Can anyone tell me if it's possible to fully disable cleartype in windows 7? You couldn't in Vista (the option only partially disables it, which is infuriating). For that reason, and that reason alone I'm still using XP. Anyone?

Edit: Before anyone asks, yes it's tuned correctly. I find cleartype to be blurry and painful to use, and I much prefer clean black pixel outlines.

Data fucked around with this message at 09:31 on May 22, 2009

# ¿ May 22, 2009 09:27

Data: Jan 11, 2005

big mean giraffe posted:

Chances are if you dislike ClearType you haven't set it up right. It makes things look so much nicer and not fuzzy at all unless your monitor's broken or lovely.

Chances are no. I stated that in my post.

Fyi, usability studies show that at least 35% of people read regular type more easily, and this on a tiny 15" screen with a large resolution, which is the best case scenario for ClearType.
www.ischool.utexas.edu/~ct/chi_p618.pdf

quote:

That said, I'm on 17 inch LCD from 5+ years ago, so it may well not have a dense enough dot pitch to render cleartype well.

The only time I've ever seen ClearType look good is on my VGA PocketPC, which has incredible pixel density. I'm using two reasonably high quality BENQ and Samsung panels, 22" and 19", so the pixel density is much lower than on a tiny PocketPC screen.

Unexpected EOF posted:

There isn't a way, just like there wasn't in vista.

Well that's just grand isn't it. I wonder when XP will finally become unusable, probably another 4-5 years if Vista was anything to go by.

Data fucked around with this message at 11:51 on May 22, 2009

# ¿ May 22, 2009 11:36

Data: Jan 11, 2005

Stanley Pain posted:

Cheap TN panels are your problem. So you're telling me that every single tuning option looks fuzzy/blurry to you?

Why do I have to go through this every time I mention cleartext? It's tuned correctly, yet it still looks blurry compared to the crisp pixel outlines of regular text.

Is it really so hard to believe that some people don't like this feature?

Nam Taf posted:

Where is it not disabled when you disable it in Vista/7? I've not noticed cleartype anywhere after disabling it.

I can't quite remember exactly, but last time I tried it it popped up in a number of places - dialog boxes especially, as far as I can remember. It's bizarre that they'd include an option to disable it, yet then proceed to disable it only in some parts of the OS. It's very sloppy.

ErIog posted:

Have you tried going through the cleartype tuner in 7? It made text even look better on an old as holy loving gently caress Dell all in one machine with built in old rear end 1024x768 panel.

I know you're set on getting rid of it, but I think you should give it one more try. When configured properly, I find the text to be clearer than without it. It's not supposed to be making type fuzzy in any way. It's supposed to be optimizing text for your monitor so that it IS crisp.

I haven't been able to install windows 7 due to various freezes/blue-screens, but if there isn't a way to disable ClearType I won't be trying it again until I'm forced to.

The way it works is by utilising RGB subpixels, theoretically tripling the horizontal resolution available for each character. The problem is that sub pixels remove the clear 1 pixel boundary of regular text, and introduce unopposed colours. Regular text is already incredibly sharp and crisp. White pixel, black pixel, white pixel. It can't get any sharper. ClearType makes text look a lot smoother and less pixelated - far smoother actually. But less sharp. The clear, sharp, pixel borders are blurred. I find this much more difficult to read.

For example:

Look at that l. From one clear, contrasted black pixel, to (255,234,186)-(114,0,114)-(186,234,255). It looks smoother at 100%, but it's not sharper, to me anyway.

Ixian posted:

If that's the case, may I suggest you Cleartype haters start now because I'm sure of one thing, it isn't going back to the way it was.

I could probably hold out till XP is completely obsolete - presumably dot pitch will decrease a lot in that time making ClearType far more tolerable.

\/ Eh, people don't understand. Suffice to say that as much as I'd like to use it, for whatever reason it makes reading much more difficult for me and I want it off.

Data fucked around with this message at 16:59 on May 22, 2009

# ¿ May 22, 2009 16:42

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