Time to Upgrade Your Monitor • Hacker News Board

Re: Time to Upgrade Your Monitor

#211

Post by chrismorgan » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 5:32 PM UTC

the_af wrote: post #76

The technical details are all right (or seem right to me, anyway), but this is too opinionated for my liking. No, you do not need a 4K monitor for software development. Some people might like them, some won't. [edit/clarification: someone rightfully pointed out that nobody will actively dislike a 4K monitor. I was unclear here: I meant "some people won't need them" more than "dislike them"] This sounds like when Jeff…

Have you used a 4K display, for at least a few days? If you have, I still disagree with you, but if not, I’m going to completely ignore your opinion, because I find the difference in how pleasant it is to use a good screen just so vast. Sure, you can do things on a lousy monitor, but it’s terrible and you’ll hate it. :)

(My first laptop was a second-hand HP 6710b at 1680×1050 for 15″, and that set me to never accepting 1366×768. So my next laptop was 15″ 1920×1080, and now I use a 13″ (though I’d rather have had 15″) 3000×2000 Surface Book, and it’s great. Not everyone will be able to justify the expense of 4K or similar (though I do think that anyone that’s getting their living by it should very strongly consider it worthwhile), but I honestly believe that it would be better if laptop makers all agreed to manufacture no more 15″ laptops with 1366×768 displays, and take 1920×1080 as a minimum acceptable quality. As it is, some people understandably want a cheap laptop and although the 1920×1080 panel is not much dearer than the 1366×768 panel, you commonly just can’t buy properly cheap laptops with 1920×1080 panels.)

Re: Time to Upgrade Your Monitor

#212

Post by asdff » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 5:33 PM UTC

xyst wrote: post #196

Personally, my takeaways from this article are to disable font smoothing. I disabled it on my MBP and I like how the default fonts are rendered now. They appear less bright and more crisper. I haven't changed these settings on my MBP since I got it, so it's likely enabled by default. The rationale behind it makes sense in low resolution cases, but to have it enabled by default on rMBP doesn't make sense to me. Howeve…

I will say I just looked at my macbook air, haven't touched that setting myself and it is disabled by default in new catalina macs at least.

Re: Time to Upgrade Your Monitor

#213

Post by mthoms » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 5:34 PM UTC

diffeomorphism wrote: post #94

coreai wrote: post #47

After using a rMBP for 6 years, I realized that using a lower resolution and lower quality display makes absolutely no sense at all if both graphical power and budget is available (first 13' rMBP had some serious issue driving the display). Better quality image is better quality image. I think Apple's biggest selling point over any vendor right now, despite numerous issues with its hardware and software in the recent…

For the trackpad I agree, but definitely not for the keyboard. And apple was late(!) to hires screens and to hidpi and now has lower res and density than the competition (e.g. 16:10 better 4k on dell xps or 3:2 screens with MS and others). Also, apple had TN screens forever when the similarly priced competition had higher res IPS screens.

>And apple was late(!) to hires screens and to hidpi

Are you sure about that? It doesn't seem to mesh with my recollection.

Re: Time to Upgrade Your Monitor

#214

Post by robertoandred » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 5:34 PM UTC

clarry wrote: post #119

mastercheif wrote: post #12

It's frustrating that consumer Hi-DPI display development has completely stalled in the last five years. As mentioned in the article, macOS works best using true 2x integer scaling. Using 2x scaling, a 4k monitor will result in an equivalent workspace to a 1080p display—unusable for productivity and development. A superior option is iMac/LG 5k display results which nets an equivalent workspace of 1440p. The only opti…

Why is everyone so attached to scaling? What is this shit software that 1) everyone relies on and 2) whose UI and font size can't be adjusted like any normal software (or web page) since the 90s? Is this yet another brainfart from Apple?

Probably something to do with the fact that macOS has handled high-dpi perfectly since 2012 and Windows is still struggling.

Re: Time to Upgrade Your Monitor

#215

Post by platz » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 5:35 PM UTC

ComputerGuru wrote: post #163

platz wrote: post #91

I was thinking about a 4k, but i'm not sure I will know how to get everything to run at 2x scale, on both windows and linux. Is this hard to do? Caveats?

It’s the default under both Windows 10 and Gnome 3 for hi-dpi displays. In fact, it’s near impossible to get fractional dpi working across the board on Gnome 3.

I use i3 but I'm sure there are Nvidia settings to control the x display somehow

Re: Time to Upgrade Your Monitor

#216

Post by fumar » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 5:37 PM UTC

aplummer wrote: post #45

mastercheif wrote: post #12

It's frustrating that consumer Hi-DPI display development has completely stalled in the last five years. As mentioned in the article, macOS works best using true 2x integer scaling. Using 2x scaling, a 4k monitor will result in an equivalent workspace to a 1080p display—unusable for productivity and development. A superior option is iMac/LG 5k display results which nets an equivalent workspace of 1440p. The only opti…

I use a Pro Display XDR for programming / design work, I think you forgot this one. It seems like it would fit your needs (with the obviously premium price) as it’s 32”. It’s overkill for most, but still the best display I’ve ever used and I love it. I actually tried an Asus 4K 120hz for much less but the fan noise was a deal breaker even if the screen didn’t break on arrival (it did). Disclosure: Apple employee

As someone who also stares a monitor for work have you noticed any difference in eye strain or comfort? I have two 4K monitors but considering going to 5K+. I liken it to shoes or a mattress. If we spend all day with X object it, then quality should be a priority.

Re: Time to Upgrade Your Monitor

#217

Post by mthoms » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 5:37 PM UTC

Slartie wrote: post #204

Regarding the "120Hz dance", which sure is ridiculous, the author could probably give the nice little tool "SwitchResX" a try. I adore that piece of software because it allowed me to force my MacBook to properly supply my Dell U2711, which is a 2560x1440 display, with an actual 2560x1440x60Hz signal over HDMI (which was important to me because I needed the DP port for something else). That older monitor has some kind…

I had a similar problem with an older MacBook that would only (officially) power my 4k display at 30Hz. SwitchResX was the magic solution to bring it up to 60Hz.

Re: Time to Upgrade Your Monitor

#218

Post by lexicality » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 5:37 PM UTC

bryanrasmussen wrote: post #104

the_af wrote: post #76

The technical details are all right (or seem right to me, anyway), but this is too opinionated for my liking. No, you do not need a 4K monitor for software development. Some people might like them, some won't. [edit/clarification: someone rightfully pointed out that nobody will actively dislike a 4K monitor. I was unclear here: I meant "some people won't need them" more than "dislike them"] This sounds like when Jeff…

I have a hard time using three monitors effectively, so that in the end they are distracting for me. Probably you need some particular personality tics to make proper use of them.

Personally I use web browser on the left (eg docs), editor in the middle and output of whatever I'm doing on the right.

Email hides behind the web browser and slack behind the output.

Re: Time to Upgrade Your Monitor

#219

Post by skocznymroczny » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 5:38 PM UTC

the_af wrote: post #181

akersten wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah, I wouldn't say having a mechanical keyboard makes your code any higher quality - that'd be pretty silly. I think in general the thought is, if you care enough about your craft that you seek out refined tools, that care will be reflected in higher-quality development. Whether that's true or not, I don't know, but I'm inclined to believe there's a correlation. I mean, it would be weird to visit a professional car…

Thanks for the reply. I think there is little to no correlation, but like the opposite opinion, I've no proof other than the anecdotal: the best hackers I've known didn't care about these things. Other bizarre opinions I've read from Atwood and his followers: that you should be an excellent typist (this is also related to owning a mechanical keyboard). No. Just no. Typing speed is not the bottleneck when writing soft…

I've had a phase of getting mechanical keyboards, but I always found myself typing slower on them. The added travel time, even on the "low profile" mech keyboards was making me type slower. I am back to scissor switch and I couldn't be happier. Although I prefer the low profile keyboards in general. One of my favourite keyboards is the butterfly Macbook keyboard, but I know it has mixed opinions.

Re: Time to Upgrade Your Monitor

#220

Post by coob » Wed, Jun 17, 2020, 5:39 PM UTC

bredren wrote: post #85

coreai wrote: post #47

After using a rMBP for 6 years, I realized that using a lower resolution and lower quality display makes absolutely no sense at all if both graphical power and budget is available (first 13' rMBP had some serious issue driving the display). Better quality image is better quality image. I think Apple's biggest selling point over any vendor right now, despite numerous issues with its hardware and software in the recent…

I've been focused on Apple display products for the past few months as I'm looking to make an upgrade from the Dell P2715Q 4k 27" I use primarily for development. There is a three page thread on using the Apple 32" XDR for software dev on MacRumors. [1] I believe there is a major product gap at Apple right now in the mid-market display. Specifically a replacement for the LED 27" Cinema Display which was announced 10…

I've just switched to a an LG "5K2K" ultrawide [1]. 5120 x 2160 and fairly reasonably priced.

[1] https://www.lg.com/us/monitors/lg-34WK95U-W-ultrawide-monito...