Font display in Leopard

applecandidateapplecandidate
Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
Hi,



I'm a long time Windows user eager to switch to Mac (especially after trying Vista!) I'm waiting for Leopard to be released for my purchase, however, after testing different websites on Safari in Windows, I remain concerned about what seems to be a very fuzzy font display. Does anyone know if Leopard will improve its font technology Quartz and display crisper fonts with Leopard?



I guess I expect to hear from beta testers to let me know if that has changed at all. Has Apple historically improve its font display from version to version?



Thanks.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    daffy_duckdaffy_duck Posts: 248member
    If I am understanding correctly you are basing your opinion of OS X font display from a non-Mac computer and possibly with a CRT monitor, using Safari for Windows. I suggest instead that you visit an Apple retailer and see the real deal before calling it very fuzzy. Few Mac owners have any complaints when it comes to fonts.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    electric monkelectric monk Posts: 485member
    Roughly speaking OS X renders fonts how they should look (a legacy of desktop publishing), while Windows artificially makes them sharper.





    There's been many a debate on the issue:



    What's Wrong With Apple's Font Rendering (read the comments)



    Font Rendering Philosophies of Windows and Mac OS X (also read the comments)
  • Reply 3 of 7
    9secondko9secondko Posts: 929member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Electric Monk View Post


    Roughly speaking OS X renders fonts how they should look (a legacy of desktop publishing), while Windows artificially makes them sharper.





    There's been many a debate on the issue:



    What's Wrong With Apple's Font Rendering (read the comments)



    Font Rendering Philosophies of Windows and Mac OS X (also read the comments)



    the font comparison article has been debunked as pure flamebait. The Apple fonts are indeed sharper. The pics the article uses are not even from Safari or from Mac OS X without some kind of distortion to cause them to look worse. Try the test yourself. you will see that the result you get are far, far different.



    the first thing I noticed going to OS X from XP was that the fonts are much more crisp.



    the the original poster, you will absolutely love the fonts in OSX and Safari. To see for yourself, visit your local Apple store or Circuit City.
  • Reply 4 of 7
    teedoff087teedoff087 Posts: 348member
    It's actually one of the first things I noticed when I switched to OS X. Font rendering is much clearer to my eye in OS X.
  • Reply 5 of 7
    philotechphilotech Posts: 106member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Applecandidate View Post


    Hi,



    I'm a long time Windows user eager to switch to Mac (especially after trying Vista!) I'm waiting for Leopard to be released for my purchase, however, after testing different websites on Safari in Windows, I remain concerned about what seems to be a very fuzzy font display. Does anyone know if Leopard will improve its font technology Quartz and display crisper fonts with Leopard?



    I guess I expect to hear from beta testers to let me know if that has changed at all. Has Apple historically improve its font display from version to version?



    Thanks.



    Mainly, font display is very DIFFERENT in Mac vs Windows. As mentioned by other posters, do not judge Mac font display from Safari for Windows. Still, the Apple website looks a lot better even in Safari for Windows than in IE.



    I'm sort of in the same situation as you, and I also prefer the Windows font display. But there's nothing really to argue about here, I've taken part in a discussion like this over at Ars Technica (you might still find it, it's just a month old or so). If there is anything that eventually might be agreed upon then it is this:



    1. Apple prefers a rendering that looks more like print and shows less pixel structure. This does appear 'fuzzier' to a lot of people than Windows font rendering.



    2. Windows font rendering (with sub-pixel anti-aliasing) still anti-aliases and softens fonts quite a bit, but MS doesn't go so far as Apple and trades print-look for sharpness. Latest MS fonts are sort of optimized for screen rendering in that kerning (ie character spacing) matches screen pixel structure better so eventually you should have both, print-like looks and sharpness. I myself haven't seen any effect though, apart from the new Office 07 fonts being less dense than say Arial or Verdana and therefore take up more space.



    3. Finally, Windows font rendering without any anti-aliasing clearly show every single pixel, but therefore also are the sharpest. I think not turning on font smoothing in Windoes renders any and all fonts plain unbearable ugly, but I know a lot of people who find aliased fonts as in (2) blurry in the same way you and I feel about (1).



    Still think it just takes a little getting used to. I already prefer the Apple website in Safari over IE (just compare a typical page such as http://www.apple.com/iwork/keynote/, you would think to make a page look that horrible in IE must must have tried hard...).
  • Reply 6 of 7
    kim kap solkim kap sol Posts: 2,987member
    Every time I think this subject will die...it returns from the dead by a post-and-run wonder. I'm laying 20 bucks on the table. Applecandidate's number of posts will remain at 1 forever. 20 bucks! It almost looks like a genuine inquiry though...maybe I should lower the stakes. ... Nah.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    philotechphilotech Posts: 106member
    With regard to the one-post-wonders: you can extend that to the query-and-forget people. I still consider it very rude to start a thread with a personal question and never return to reply (regardless if the OP ever reads the answers what he most probably does)

    Yeah, the world is on decline...
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