I am a software developer and I need to sit in front of my monitor most of the time. Recently my eyes bother me too much. I'm a bit worried they may get damage. I visited a doctor some months ago and he said it's nothing and you should watch the monitor/cell phone lesser and also use the artificial tear eyedrops. Anyway, with this introduction, my eyes don't feel good today. I am considering buying a bigger monitor as an option to ease my eyes. But I'm not sure it's even relevant. I barely use my cell phone. It's just my pc's monitor that I use mostly. It's an old 18.5 inch Samsung LCD. Does a new LCD that has some so-called eyecare technology helps easing my eyes pain? Besides that, the current monitor is really small and its smallness also can bother my eyes. I haven't had experience with any bigger screen and just wanted to know how much difference I'll experience with a 24 or 27 inch mid-range monitor comparing to the current 18.5 inch monitor (for my eyes)?! What's your opinion on my idea? PS I have to pay it by monthly instalments, since I don't have enough money. Also, such a monitor costs like 3 months of my whole monthly salary, as dollar is very expensive in my country. So, this is not easy to decide. I had decided to buy a Laptop first as it's very important but I think maybe I should reconsider it. Thanks in advance.
I’ve been a software engineer for 20 years. I’m not sure about for eye strain, but just cognitively, yes, bigger monitors are always helpful. You can see more code at a time. It can help to be able to put two sets of code side by side. And then if you’re coding something visual, it’s helpful to be able to have code on one side and your product on the other (be that a web browser or mobile simulator or file or whatever). Dual monitor is also great for that. I don’t k ow about eye strain, but I will tell you the idea of coding on an 18 inch monitor makes my head hurt, so good chance. I use a 27 inch monitor and it’s nice.
This isn't as simple as "the bigger screen the better for your eyes' strain", as I hear it. I hear a 22 inch full hd is better than a monitor with exact same properties and same resolution that is 24 inch. And forgive me but I'd like to vent a bit. The things you mentioned are completely true. I really need to put 2 sets of code side by side or put two window of anything side by side many times but I either don't do it or do it with much difficulty. But this is a different story. My eye sore is my biggest difficulty right now! I don't care about other things. Just wanna be able to do my work and read any ebook I enjoy as it's my biggest enjoyment available for me.
I’m a developer, not an eye doctor. I can tell you that yes, larger screens with higher resolutions are more comfortable for me to work on as well as more practical. I work on n dual 4K monitors and it works well for me. Good luck.
I used dual monitors when I could. But now, I stick to a combination of anti-glare/Blue-light filter glasses and eye-drops. I also try to sit at a distance when possible and take breaks every hour. So that my eyes won't strain too much. Huge monitors may help, but I don't think it is possible for everyone to work with them.
Yes, my head and eyes stopped hurting when I got a PC + large monitor instead of a laptop for programming.
