New Big Wide Monitor

Unhappy friend!

[chewy]

So my friend called and said he was very unhappy that I did not accompany him to the computer store when he bought a new wider monitor.

he said everything looked "stretched out" - I chatted with him a bit, thinking these were word docs or working frames for things like email or his browser...

and it turns out that this is really NOT the problem.

he has a photo as a screen backdrop of a big fat trout he caught. it is a beautiful photo and it makes a handsome background.

But now the trout is very long and skinny and my friend is upset!

Funny - I suppose I now appreciate the forethought that goes into the screen themes offered by Microsoft and friends and how they need to be accommodating of these wide screens.

any suggestions on what I tell my friend to do?

[myriadweb]

I would tell your friend to center the background instead of stretching it. I'm sure the aspect ratio of the picture is different than the aspect ratio of the monitor.

[kaled]

If he knows so little, get him to email the image to you, chop off 12.5% from the top and bottom (assuming it's a 16:9 monitor) and send it back to him - he'll think you're a genius!

Kaled.

[chewy]

interesting, it could also be that the "fatness" (vertical depth)of the fish (displayed horizontally) is exaggerated by the old aspect ratio.

thinking about this - the aspect ratio of the original image is probably closer to the ratio of the new monitor rather than the old one.

the new skinny fish may be closer to reality!

> the odd thought comes to mind - I wonder how his wife and kids would look on the new screen?

thanks for the as always thought provoking and stimulating suggestions!

[akmac]

Tell him he'll need to go catch a larger fish.