Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

I’m ancient (51) by today’s 2+2 standards. In part due to my age and genetically bad eyesight I have trouble seeing table data on my LCD (a 21.5” Samsung 213T) and CRT (a 22” Viewsonic P225f Professional series) monitors in 1600 by 1200 resolution. For the most part I stick to 1024 by 768 and play four 6-handed tables with some overlap. But I’m ready to play more tables and would rather not overlap.

I think my vision problems result from sitting too far away from the displays due to the way my desk unit is set up (an Office Depot type corner configuration, with the displays set back on a fixed stand and the keyboard drawer keeping me quite a distance away from the desk). If I lean uncomfortably forward, I can easily see data at 1600 by 1200 with my prescription readers.

I’m using a poll to make answering easy, but any comments appreciated. I’m asking about the keyboard drawer because I can sit closer by either removing the display stand (sliding the displays forward) or by removing the keyboard drawer and raising my chair.

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

I didn't put the keyboard drawer on when I set up my desk. I wanted to be able to sit higher and lean back so I like the extra room under the table that would have been taken up by the drawer.

My monitors are about 8 inches away from my fingers when I extend my arm. I would actually like to be a little farther back so that I wouldn't have to turn my head so much when playing. I sit as far away as I can and still reach the mouse on the edge of the table.

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

Hi Rick,

I'd ditch the in desk keyboard holder. They just don't work at the right level for me. Ergonomically they may be better but I really doubt it, especially since the keyboards in general are not ergonomic in the least. For poker that doesn't really matter much since what you really need is an ergonmic mouse along with a nice ergonomic rest to use the mouse with. I really want to sit comfortably with good posture, relaxed and rested if I'm programming or working on my poker game.

As for the monitors distance, if you have a problem with the highrt resolutions I'm afraid your going to have to head for more screens. Despite changing glasses several times, nothing makes the darn stuff look bigger, other than increasing the real estate space. Having the LCD closer to you won't hurt anything but you really don't want to be right up on the CRT. I use to creat super migrains for myself working to close to my 21" crt's, but then again I was programming in 16hour shifts.

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

Laser surgery....~$900/eye....20/20 vision...

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

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Laser surgery....~$900/eye....20/20 vision...

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Not really. If your eyesight continues to worsen on consistent basis, you will find yourself back wearing glasses within a year.

They recommend you demonstrate 3-4 years of consistency in your lens script before opting for laser eye.

Rick states he has genetically bad eyesight so this probably isn't an option.

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

I'm sitting closer than any of your options. Feels like my eyeballs are about 18 inches from my notebook monitor.

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

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I'm sitting closer than any of your options. Feels like my eyeballs are about 18 inches from my notebook monitor.

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I have to sit so that I still have about eight inches before I can touch either the CRT or LCD. Given the responses so far, I'm probably going to experiment first by getting rid of the keyboard drawer.

It seems silly questions to ask, but my nearby friends are Ludites, and it's been a while since I've been around office setups.

~ Rick

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

[ QUOTE ]
I didn't put the keyboard drawer on when I set up my desk. I wanted to be able to sit higher and lean back so I like the extra room under the table that would have been taken up by the drawer.

My monitors are about 8 inches away from my fingers when I extend my arm. I would actually like to be a little farther back so that I wouldn't have to turn my head so much when playing. I sit as far away as I can and still reach the mouse on the edge of the table.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks for the info. I have a wonderful adjustable chair (the Aeron, subject of many discussions on these forums and on RGP) and I'm going to try to ditch the keyboard drawer first. I'll want to sit closer though. My script seems to work best when I can touch the displays.

~ Rick

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

[ QUOTE ]
Hi Rick,

I'd ditch the in desk keyboard holder. They just don't work at the right level for me. Ergonomically they may be better but I really doubt it, especially since the keyboards in general are not ergonomic in the least.

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I use one of those Microsoft models where the keys are sort of split in half and angled for comfort. I keep a couple spares handy, usually available at computer fairs for about $20.

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For poker that doesn't really matter much since what you really need is an ergonmic mouse along with a nice ergonomic rest to use the mouse with. I really want to sit comfortably with good posture, relaxed and rested if I'm programming or working on my poker game.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think I have a decent enough mouse but it is corded. I might end up lookiing into a better cordless version though.

[ QUOTE ]
As for the monitors distance, if you have a problem with the highrt resolutions I'm afraid your going to have to head for more screens. Despite changing glasses several times, nothing makes the darn stuff look bigger, other than increasing the real estate space. Having the LCD closer to you won't hurt anything but you really don't want to be right up on the CRT. I use to creat super migrains for myself working to close to my 21" crt's, but then again I was programming in 16hour shifts.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't have room for more screens unless I go with a clamp for four like Inthacup. With the LCD and CRT side by side, I really notice that looking at the LCD is far more pleasant. I recent eye exam indicated I have a slight indicator for glacoma, so I'm getting throughly tested next week by an opthamologist. I've heard LCDs are better for the eyes, and will ask his opinion. With the price of another 213T approaching $600, I'll get one if I have to.

~ Rick

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

There are lots of modifications out there for the images of cards and suchlike on certain sites.

I wonder if you could design a custom set so that you could read the cards very easily... they dont even have to look like regular cards as long as you know what you're after.

I imagine something like a four color deck with just the huge number or letter occupying the entire card, and no suits or anything cluttering up the space, could make things a lot easier to read.

Just a thought

Lori

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

Am i the only one that does not know what "ergonomics" means... Its the only reason i didnt answer the poll... sigh.
-Andrew

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

Have you tried adjusting your display using ClearType? Check it out at http://www.microsoft.com/typography/ClearTypeInfo.mspx. It's a great tool if 1600x1200 is too small a font for you but you don't want to give up the real estate.

Essentially it's a multi-step procedure where you tune the Windows fonts so you can view them optimally.

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

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Rick states he has genetically bad eyesight so this probably isn't an option.

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This is the normal root cause of bad eyesight and most laser patients have it. But perhaps OP means something more unusual?

I'm sure an eye doctor could provide good advice on laser surgery. But I'll mention that a 51-yr-old near-sighted person should *expect* to emerge from surgery needing reading glasses for close work. Presbyopia (inflexible focusing of the eye) affects almost everyone 40+. Nearsighted people don't need to focus much to read because their mishapen eye only works well close up. But as soon as the surgeon reshapes the eye years of worsening focus come into effect all at once and reading can be difficult.

At my one-year postop follow-up the tech writing up my history was so certain from my age that I must be using reading glasses that she wrote it down on my chart before she asked. Fortuntely it isn't true yet. But I still lost a lot of short-range acuity and there is nowhere to go but down as I age.

But it was well worth it for me.

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

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Check it out at http://www.microsoft.com/typography/ClearTypeInfo.mspx.

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Fixed your link.

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

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Check it out at fixed link.

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Fixed your link.

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amatures [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

Switch to limit so you can ditch the keyboard. (You can rescue it when you need to do your accounts.) Use Virtually Hands Free™ (VHF) Mousing System so you can tape up the mouse buttons.

I have the central corners of my four monitors about 8" from my nose, but then I am short sighted even with my glasses on.

Everyone is different, so just shift things around until you find what works for you.

Try a different opticians.

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

To save some others the hassle I had to look it up, it means, "The applied science of equipment design, as for the workplace, intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort."

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

Rick....I'm a nearly 51 year old woman with similar eyesight woes. Nearsighted since age 10, and now getting the middle age farsightedness to go with it. Currently I wear contacts and use the cheapie OTC magnifying reading glasses. The reading glasses are with my optometrists OK.....says as long as that works well for me, go ahead.

However, when I got my last exam and new lenses, the doctor suggested a pair taylored specifically for computer work. You will need to tell them exactly how far you sit from your monitor.....use a tape measure and check before you go for the exam......and they will optimize the correction for that distance. I love mine for playing.....and they still work fine for overall nearsighted correction.

Might be worth a shot to talk to you doctor, and see what he could fix you up with.

(It is nice to know I'm not the only...ummm..."older" person lurking around here. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img])

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

Stay out of my game.

-Michael

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

While I recovering from eye surgery I used 6 17" LCD's at 800x600, one table each which worked great. I have since switched to two Dell 2001FP which also work great.

Rob

http://www.pokerjury.com/poker6x.jpg

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

If you play on a party skin and want it, PM me your email address and I'll send you a mod that I designed to be easy on the eyes:

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/6...ablabla3kx.jpg

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

I play 6 tables on a 17" CRT 1920X1200 resolution, i sit really close to my screen around 20".

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

What malo said. Measure the distance to your monitor and have glasses made for that distance. And do measure -- I've had two eye doctors go "Hmm. That seems pretty far away for a computer monitor." They relented when I told them it was a 21 inch screen.

My 50+ year old eyes can't read the screen without them but are 20/20 with.

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

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There are lots of modifications out there for the images of cards and suchlike on certain sites.

[/ QUOTE ]

That would help and I'll look it up. The bigger issue is making room for the overlay text from the heads up display. All my screen backgrounds are black.

~ Rick

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

[ QUOTE ]
Rick....I'm a nearly 51 year old woman with similar eyesight woes. Nearsighted since age 10, and now getting the middle age farsightedness to go with it. Currently I wear contacts and use the cheapie OTC magnifying reading glasses. The reading glasses are with my optometrists OK.....says as long as that works well for me, go ahead.

However, when I got my last exam and new lenses, the doctor suggested a pair taylored specifically for computer work. You will need to tell them exactly how far you sit from your monitor.....use a tape measure and check before you go for the exam......and they will optimize the correction for that distance. I love mine for playing.....and they still work fine for overall nearsighted correction.

Might be worth a shot to talk to you doctor, and see what he could fix you up with.

(It is nice to know I'm not the only...ummm..."older" person lurking around here. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img])

[/ QUOTE ]

Actually I'm farsighted with a little astigmatism and wear extended wear contacts that correct the farsightedness but not the astigmatism (bifocal contacts must be taken out at night). Even with contacts or regular glasses I strain to read without extra help though so I've worn different strength drugstore readers around the house (on top of contacts) and keep an ultra slim pair in a case when I go out. For late at night reading I go as high as +2.5. When I clean my contacts once a week I wear readers over my regular thick glasses (glasses to correct farsightedness are thick) and really look silly but I stay in that night.

Last visit I got a script for computer work (to be worn in addition to contacts), which is a low power reader that corrects the astigmatism and has a little magnification (+1.25). I got some heavy duty ones for around the house and stylish rimless ones for going out because they seem to be neutral for distance but help a lot close up and middle distances (such as playing poker).

I'm a little unsure whether I'm a good candidate for laser but will look into it in a few years. I'd have no problem if laser corrected most problems but I still had to carry around a pair of slim readers.

~ Rick

PS 51 is older only on 2+2 [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

My tables are already blacked out (per a download from pokermods.com) but my mods have a thin line where the table is. I do like the cards though so I'm PM'g you my email.

~ Rick

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

No

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

wish I could help more Rick (I voted). gl!

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

During my last eye exam I complained that I could sort of see the monitor okay, but couldn't see much of anything closer. Trying to write (with a pen) was quite an adventure since all I could see was a blur. They set me up with progressive lens reading glasses. The lens continuously changes so I can focus to about two feet in the middle of the lens down to about a foot at the bottom of the lens. They work great, though I started to feel like a bobble-head doll moving my head up and down trying to find the right spot for the distance I was trying to see. I'm not sure if they can make something like that work for your astigmatism, but it's worth asking about.

On a side note, I read a few weeks ago about a new procedure (could still be experimental) where they zap your lens (the one in your eye) with ultrasound. This results in the lens loosening up and allowing you to once again focus on close objects. Long term side effects are not currently known. The other downside is they have to insert the ultrasound emitter into your eyeball. Basically, they stick a needle in your eye. One would assume they deaden the eye first, but the whole idea of a needle in my eye is enough to make me think wearing reading glasses isn't so bad afterall.

Re: Help an Old Man With Bad Eyesight Multi-table
 

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The other downside is they have to insert the ultrasound emitter into your eyeball. Basically, they stick a needle in your eye. One would assume they deaden the eye first, but the whole idea of a needle in my eye is enough to make me think wearing reading glasses isn't so bad afterall.

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eh, stuff like that is for wusses. My dad had his eye surgery when it was pretty new stuff. They Dr. actually pressed a stirup looking thing (star shaped - think like the little fingers that float out from "sun" drawing) against his eye and then made incisions where the marks were to relieve the pressure. Sick, eh? Now they use "LASERs" (that was a doctor evil "laser") and stuff. Meh! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]