Resolution Maximizes Productivity

by Pao Tzu

1999-05-20 06:17:23

Pao Tzu: On The Beat

Pao-Tzu reviews a clinical study of fatigue among workers using various resolution display media.

This German scientist guy, Ziefle M, conducted a clinical trial investigating the effect of media resolution and human response. Two experiments, one where the subjects proofread documents, another where their fatigue and screen fixation were measured.
In the first experiment, the subjects have to proofread a document on either a 60dpi monitor, a 120 dpi monitor, or 255 dpi printed sheets of paper. The findings showed that the people using the 255 dpi media worked far quicker and with less stress than those using the monitors. Imagine that, people using actual paper to do work.
Experiment 2, monitor showdown. The experiment clearly showed that people using shitty 62 or 69 dpi monitors had far more fatigue than those using 89 dpi monitors. In his discussion, Ziefle argues that more workplaces should put emphasis on the resolution of their media in the interests of productivity and worker health. Good monitors, 120 dpi+, translate into a more efficient workplace.
But as we know, corporations are dumb asses. They keep rolling out the whole palmpilot and notebook computer 30 fucking dpi shit every day. These pieces of EYESTRAIN INDUCING shit are incorrectly marketed by their manufacturers as ``productivity tools.'' And regular monitors keep getting chincier. Look at the standardization of the 640x480 res shit. Monochrome monitors had 768 pixels licked a decade ago. But the basic lesson still is to work with paper whenever possible. At 255 dpi, any plain vanilla dot matrix printer kicks the shit out of the cream of the crop monitors.
bib:
"Effects of display resolution on visual performance." Ziefle, M, Hum Factors (GE5), 1998, Dec; 40(4): 554-68

szithead@pigdog.org