Laptop Life Saver: ClearType Tuner

Today I swapped out my beastly 17-inch notebook for a slimmer 15.4-inch model. So far I'm thrilled with the lighter weight, but the sharpness of the screen left something to be desired. On some websites with smaller text, reading more than a couple of paragraphs gave me a headache.

The solution was only a few clicks away and, thankfully, free: Microsoft's ClearType Tuner is a 2MB download (for XP only) that lets you tweak your display settings to the clarity you desire. For me, that meant a thicker font with well-defined edges, a far cry from the pixelated joke that Windows gives you as a default.

Don't take my word for it. Try it for yourself. ClearType Tuner ought to snazz up the text on any LCD monitor, but you'll need to run your monitor at native resolution (typically the highest setting your PC allows) for best results. The results might surprise you, and it's easy to turn it off if you decide you don't like the look.

Download ClearType Tuner on the Microsoft PowerToys page. The download link is in the vertical bar on the right, the fourth download down. (While you're there, explore the other PowerToys. Some, like TweakUI and Alt-Tab Replacement, are indespensible.)

For more information on ClearType, visit Microsoft's ClearType informaton page.