[Charlug] Image Clarity Differences Between GNU & Win Systems?

[C. Michael Pilato]

Don Parris wrote:
> Hi all,
> 
> I recently installed Debian Etch for a lady (See the Blue GNU blog post)
> and did not have her monitor when I installed it.  I only had a 15" CRT
> to use for installation, so can't expect much with respect to image
> quality.  At any rate, I wanted to follow up with her about her new
> system, and she said her only gripe was that images don't seem as
> sharp.  I'm not sure I would notice unless there was a really serious
> discrepency between the images on one system and those on the other. 
> Unfortunately, I can really only go by her word - I blew away Windows to
> install Debian.
> 
> Has anyone else noticed any issues along these lines?  Were you able to
> resolve the issue(s)?  I'm guessing she might need to adjust her monitor
> a bit, but I don't know beyond that what might cause a difference.  I
> figured I'd ask my local LUG among other efforts.
> 
> I just don't have an eye for these things.

Does this lady have a CRT monitor, or an LCD?

LCDs, which claim support for multiple screen resolutions, really have
exactly one actual hardware resolution for which they were designed.  And
that's the only resolution that *doesn't* look like total trash.  So, if her
system is coming up with a default resolution of, say, 1024x768 (perhaps
because that's what worked best on your 15" monitor) but she has an LCD
monitor with a hardware resolution of 1280x1024, there's gonna be all kinds
of nasty software tricks employed to fake that resolution difference.  And
in my experience, those tricks have severe limits to their effectiveness.

-- 
C. Michael Pilato <cmpilato at red-bean.com> | http://cmpilato.blogspot.com/