I'd be curious to see if Apple does anything like Vertical Blank Locking, + if the monitor would reduce symptoms in a similar way.
I do have a Macbook, however the internal screen of this Macbook does not cause me symptoms. However if history repeats itself, when that Macbook updates (which it will, by corporate policy) the internal screen will then be unusable for me, at which point yes I can test this monitor on it
As @ryans has said, technologies like screen readers do exist for completely blind people and those are supported by "big tech companies" often with known bug trackers and QA of its own.
I asked about something like this, the engineer did about 2 weeks of research to see if a one off patch just for me could be developed for Windows 10 which would basically revert the Windows 10 display subsytem to work like Windows 7. After researching, his verdict was that it was not possible.
Sounds great. Would you share which monitor you got?
Dell 144Hz Gaming Monitor FHD 24 Inch Monitor - 1ms Response Time, LED Edgelight System, AMD FreeSync Premium, VESA, Gray - S2421HGF - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B089T73ZB9/
Funny enough, the monitor itself looks pretty shitty. The colors are washed out, the viewing angle sucks, the color gamut is wildly out of calibration. But my symptoms have significantly improved.
It is important to set your video card to the full 144Hz refresh rate, mine defaulted to 120 and I had to go in and specify a custom resolution to get it to run at 144. At 120Hz there was significantly less symptom reduction that 144Hz.
I think in a way, this indeed is a sort of flicker.
The engineer said it was not a "flicker", it was an intentional drawing of the screen at discreet intervals. When I think of a "flicker", to me that means a change in the backlight at a certain frequency. This is not that. this is windows saying "OK I'll draw 1/2 the screen now, then I will wait a specific time period (tied to the refresh rate of the monitor), then draw the other half of the screen, then wait that time period, then draw the other half of the screen" on and on.
My previous monitor, which was a Dell P2214H, is certified to be "flicker free" but runs at 60hz and was unusable for me if I was not patching.
But if you share what you bought, Ill buy it with return period and test is on my mac.
I think that's a good idea, it's less than $200. For what we all get gouged for by snake oil salesmen promising us the moon because they sense our desperation, that's a hell of a bargain.
Are you still doing the patching? Or this 144Hz monitor eliminates the need for patching?
The 144hz monitor has completely eliminated the need for patching. Patching on the 60Hz monitor was basically like using the 144Hz monitor non patched. It is so nice to have binocular vision back.
Is Windows 7 still better than Windows 10 with 144Hz monitor?
Yes. Windows 7, with my 60Hz Dell P2214H, is better than my Win10 setup with the 144Hz monitor. If I had to quantify it, on a scale of 1 to 10,1 being the worst and 10 being the best, if Windows 7 was a 10, Windows 10 with the 144Hz monitor is a solid 8.
The advice to use a 144 Hz monitor is not bad, but a 120 Hz monitor is better IMO.
Using the monitor at 120Hz was significantly worse than using it on 144Hz. I do not think Vertical Blank Locking is the same as vsync. For example I get no tearing at all in my windows 7 in classic mode.
At this point I am able to use this setup pretty much all day with minimal symptoms, not symptom free, but within the limits of what I can manage/deal with. It has been a true lifesaver that has allowed me to keep my career (and my ability to support my family), which I have been seriously contemplating having to change given my inability to use the standard OS used by corporate America. I know not everyone is well off enough to do so, but if you can, give this monitor a shot and see if it helps.