Staring at the computer screen all day long can have serious negative effects on eye health such as Computer Vision Syndrome but not only. EyePro is a free application that reminds you when it’s time to take a break and rest your eyes. It also includes useful tips and eye exercises to reduce the strain caused by long periods of time spent in front of the computer.
Installation & Requirements
Users that want to give EyePro a try will be delighted by its extremely simple installation. All you can do is change the installation folder’s location and EyePro will automatically perform the rest of the settings and install itself.
EyePro works even on older editions of Windows as it supports Windows NT, 98, Me, 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, Server 2008, 7 and 8.
Interface
EyePro doesn’t have a very polished interface but it’s simple and no user should have problems finding his way around. The first screen is dedicated to the program’s settings. Here you can set the time intervals and notifications for short and long breaks, enable/disable audio notifications, use the built-in presets, test the breaks, pause monitoring and a few other options.
The trophy icon opens up the Trophy Cabinet which is a list of achievements that users can acquire when they reach a milestone (e.g.: You can win the EyePro Master trophy by taking 50 breaks).
The Usage Stats section lets users see the number of breaks taken, skipped and postponed. The program also tracks your overall progress showing the percentage of breaks taken vs. breaks skipped and a status based on these numbers.
The EyeCare Tips offer valuable information about correct positioning of the computer screen, mouse and keyboard, room lighting intensity, blink frequency and others. An interesting section is the Addons screen. In the upper area EyePro offers black, blue, red and green screen filters. These can be used to reduce screen glare, which often causes headaches and eye discomfort. The only problem with these filters is that they stay on top of all opened windows making them inactive. If you want to perform any action in the windows the filter can be moved using the mouse or closed. As a result, these filters are only useful for reading.
In the lower area of the Addons section, the program offers a series of exercises developed to improve eyesight. While these are most likely safe, it is recommended you seek medical advice before trying them out.
Pros
– Quick installation with very few manual settings.
– Reminds users when to take short and long breaks.
– Notifications and break frequency can be customized.
– A dedicated screen offers useful tips on how to prevent eye strain caused by long periods of time spent in front of the computer.
– Usage statistics show the number of breaks taken, skipped and postponed.
– Includes Vision therapy exercises designed to improve learning-related eye skills such as focusing, tracking and perception.
Cons
– Every information link present within the program opens a different PDF document. A help file unifying all that information would be much appreciated.
Conclusion
When you’re focusing on your computer-related activities you’ll most likely forget to take breaks and rest your eyes as you should. EyePro is not just a simple break reminder. It also suggests simple yet efficient exercises during these breaks, let’s you see your usage statistics and offers some interesting exercises to train eye-related skills.
