Why do the fonts and icons appear so small or difficult to read on my Dell Latitude or Inspiron portable computer?

Lowering the resolution may cause distorted and fuzzy images.

The greater number of pixels in the high-resolution LCD displays shipped with many Dell™ Inspiron and Latitude portable computers may cause fonts and icons to appear smaller in comparison to lower-resolution LCD screens and external CRT monitors. Lowering the screen resolution through Windows® Display Properties is generally not a recommended method to obtain larger fonts and icons. This may cause distorted and fuzzy images.

Set native resolution on LCD panel

Set your LCD display to the native (maximum) resolution and increase the size of the fonts and icons.

For more information, refer to the following Dell Knowledge Base Articles:

What Are the Different Portable LCD and Flat Panel Monitor Screen Resolutions? - Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)

Adjust the Screen Resolution, Color Depth, Refresh Rate and Size of Fonts and Icons on your Windows Desktop

Problems With Desktop Monitors and Laptop Screens