Note: This post is a consolidation of a series of Tweets originally published February 24th, 2022.
Here are three pictures of the letter “a”. The first is from my 5k iMac at native resolution, the second is from my 4k display also at native resolution, and the last is from my 4k display scaled to pseudo 5k resolution. Do you notice how much blurrier the last scaled “a” is?
Here are two more pictures of the letter “a”, this time from Windows 10 running on the same 4k display. The first is native and the second is scaled to pseudo 5k. Despite Windows’s different anti-aliasing, the last one is also noticeably blurrier.
Most displays sold are 27”. 4k 27” displays force you to choose between crisp, but oversized text or appropriately sized, but slightly blurry text. To get appropriately sized crisp text, you need 5k at 27” and yet there is only one 5k monitor on the market.
I get on a soapbox about this because most people assume high resolution detail is for the likes of graphics designers, but as a software engineer, I stare at text all day long. Display makers, please offer more 27” 5k options.