The Magnifier

If you're not satisfied with the built-in Windows magnification tool, The Magnifier is definitely worth a try, as it comes with an interesting feature package and easy to use options.

As compared to the standard Windows utility, The Magnifier places an icon in the System Tray and lets you access configuration options effortlessly.

What's more, the application also comprises a toolbar holding the essential magnification options, letting you choose magnification level, switch to full screen or windowed mode or show and hide the magnification window.

There are many more settings available via the Tray icon, including dedicated options to adjust transparency, the full screen mode, cursor parameters and window position.

The Magnifier is somewhat difficult to use, mostly because the built-in features aren't exactly intuitive, so users may spend some time trying to figure out the purpose of each option. A help manual is indeed included in the package, so you're highly recommended to read its content too.

Switching to full screen completely hides the toolbar and turns the screen to black. The only way to get out of this without restarting the computer is to press the “Alt + F4” keyboard shortcut in order to close the app.

The Magnifier doesn't have any special hardware requirements and runs okay on most Windows workstations out there.

Overall, The Magnifier isn't quite a helpful replacement for the built-in Windows magnifier. Truth is, it comes with some handy options, but the way it interact with the user is absolutely disappointing.