Take full advantage of the new font features in Windows 7
The importance of text
While the major concern about display performance in Windows typically revolves around graphics, the fact of the matter is that the average computer user spends more time reading or writing text on the computer screen than watching or interacting with graphics, such as movies or games. Another undisputable fact is that better-looking text is easier to read. And the easier the text is to read, the faster we can read it and thus be more productive. Since Microsoft is all about improving productivity, it makes sense that the company would want to improve the textual display in its newest operating system.
Pixels and rendering text
A pixel is the smallest addressable element on a computer screen, and as such, each character displayed in the screen is rendered by a group of pixels. Unfortunately, when it comes to displaying high-contrast graphic elements, such as text on modern LCD displays, the pixels on the screen tend to reveal jagged edges that can make the text fuzzy, which in turn makes it harder to read.
To improve clarity on LCD displays, Microsoft introduced ClearType, which uses an anti-aliasing technique at the subpixel level to reduce the visible jagged edges, making the text appear smoother and thus easier to read on the screen.
However, ClearType, which was introduced as a new feature in Windows XP, was overdue for an upgrade in order to keep up with the vast improvements made in LCD display technology since Windows XP first came on the scene.
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