Cleartype Rant

[zpe]

I just installed the latest version of Windows Live Mail Desktop and I can't find a way to permanently turn off Cleartype. I unchecked "Always use Cleartype" under "Options", but it makes no difference. Same thing happens in Vista. After turning off Cleartype, some text still uses it.

I hate Cleartype. It makes the text look fuzzy and it hurts to read text using Cleartype. Even on an LCD it looks bad. I've tried the Cleartype tuner but it makes no difference-Cleartype makes everything blurry.

This issue, along with the fact that optimal refresh rates still can't be forced without using third party solutions, indicates that Microsoft is ignoring CRT users. With regard to refresh rates, I remember gamers were quiet pissed when XP always defaulted to 60 Hz with no way to choose the beloved 'Optimal' rate that existed in Windows 9x. Thankfully Refresh Force, etc. worked, but Vista does not have a feature that Windows 9x had. :roll:

Please fix these 2 bugs Microsoft. It's not very difficult to fix.
All you have to do is 1) give us the option to disable Cleartype completely (in both Vista and XP) and 2) put in optimal refresh rates, at least in Vista since it's Microsoft's new operating system.

Refresh Force and Windows 9x had no problem detecting the optimal refresh rate. Why can't Microsoft give us the same option on the NT platform?

To the Cleartype team: Please give us the option to turn off this unwanted feature.

Any other CRT users feel like Microsoft's been ignoring us?

 

[mechBgon]

How can I turn off Clear Type in Vista?

Any good?

 

[SynthDude2001]

Originally posted by: zpe
Any other CRT users feel like Microsoft's been ignoring us?

Not really, no.

 

[zpe]

Originally posted by: mechBgon
How can I turn off Clear Type in Vista?

Any good?

That's not the problem. The problem is

After turning off Cleartype, some text still uses it.

I haven't used Vista in a while, but I doubt anything has changed wrt this issue.

If you don't believe me, please try turning it off yourself. You'll get a mixture of Cleartype text and text with no Cleartype. It looks extremely unprofessional.

 

[RebateMonger]

Personally, I LIKE ClearType on a CRT. At least on XP, I like it better with than without. But everybody's different. I haven't seen ClearType on Vista on a CRT.

As far as Refresh Rate, having survived the early days of 43 Hz, 50 Hz, and 60 Hz Refresh Rates, I've never gone higher than 85 Hz on my CRTs.

 

[Drexl]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Personally, I LIKE ClearType on a CRT. At least on XP, I like it better with than without. But everybody's different. I haven't seen ClearType on Vista on a CRT.

As far as Refresh Rate, having survived the early days of 43 Hz, 50 Hz, and 60 Hz Refresh Rates, I've never gone higher than 85 Hz on my CRTs.

Yeah, I liked it too on a CRT. The fonts seemed pixelated without it. Although, I can see where some people may not like how you can see colors on the edges due to the way it works.

As for refresh rate, when I had a CRT that could handle it, I used 120Hz because it was a multiple of both 24 and 30 Hz (good for handling both film- and video-based DVDs).

 

[Canterwood]

Originally posted by: zpe

Originally posted by: mechBgon
How can I turn off Clear Type in Vista?

Any good?

That's not the problem. The problem is

After turning off Cleartype, some text still uses it.

I haven't used Vista in a while, but I doubt anything has changed wrt this issue.

If you don't believe me, please try turning it off yourself. You'll get a mixture of Cleartype text and text with no Cleartype. It looks extremely unprofessional.

He absolutely right and it drives me nuts too.

I hate cleartype even though I have an LCD.
It hurts my eyes and there is no way to turn it off completely in Vista.

To me its inexcusable of Microsoft to not leave a way to totally get rid of it.

But I doubt they give a toss tbh. :frown:

 

[zpe]

How can I send a bug report to Microsoft so that this is fixed in SP1?

 

[TheStu]

You mean so maybe this gets fixed in SP1? Or so someone might look at your bug report and not immediately disregard it due to other things needing work?

I get that this drives you bonkers... there are things that irritate me too about Windows, OS X and oh boy Linux! But, you might want to take a deep breath and consider whether or not the system is completely unusable with the issue. If it is, then sell your computer, and move to Tibet to become a monk on a mountain top (I wonder if they blog though, how nifty a concept would that be? Monks are all sitting around praying, or doing monk-like things, and if you peek in the window you realize that they are all live-blogging on existentialism)

So, check on Microsoft's website for how to report issues, but don't hold your breath on it getting fixed in SP1

 

[mechBgon]

Originally posted by: zpe
How can I send a bug report to Microsoft so that this is fixed in SP1?

A request for anyone who doesn't like ClearType: first disable ClearType as described here, then give me clear, unambiguous instances of exactly where you're still seeing ClearType and it's bugging you. I'll give my contact guy the laundry list so they know where they're not meeting expectations.

 

[Bateluer]

People still use CRTs? Most major monitor manufactures ceased development and production of CRTs years ago. Heck, I've got a 17in CRT sitting on the floor that I can't give away.

Having said that, I like Cleartype on my LCD. It makes the text softer and much easier to read. Never seen it on a CRT though. Kinda irrelevant because the CRT display will produce eyestrain and fatigue no matter how the text is set up.

 

[Markbnj]

I love ClearType on an LCD (mine is a Dell 2405). Have never looked at it on a CRT, but I empathize if it is irritating you or making it difficult to do work. However, CRT users are very rapidly diminishing as a user base, so don't hold your breath for attention to the problems of ClearType on a CRT.

 

[TSDible]

For those who say they do not like cleartype...

Have you taken the time to tune it to your liking?

http://www.microsoft.com/typog...rtype/tuner/Step1.aspx