I usually program for 10-12 hours a day, and have now noticed that my eyes hurt, and I am getting bags under them.
What is the best way to light the room so that my eyes are happy again?
Sounds totally unthinkable to me, I would never get anything done.
Guess I'm lucky working from my boat with 22 windows and a view of the sea wherever I look :-)
You get more usable floor area per ground area if you fill your whole plot of land with a huge cuboidal office block with no inner courtyards and light channels. It's easier and cheaper to build.
Result is more profit.
On that same token, if you opt for these kinds of lights, it's best to place them in a room with brightly colored walls that wont absorb the light, and you'll only end up wasting money both on the lights, and on your energy bills just trying to keep your office bright.
Otherwise, they are awesome fixtures.
I use 2 6500k lamps as a bias lights (reference white) when coding and also for watching movies. The light will appear a bit "blue" at first (compared to most other lights), but you will get used to it. Color temp is like you are always working outside in the midday sun, its great.
When the sun is setting it is just beautiful. The whole office area is well lit by natural light. It makes me a happy person.
(Having cubes with low wall also helps alot).
In Boston, I was miserable, working in a cube with high walls, away from any window, and when you go out, it gets dark by 4:30 pm. I just had the winter blues. No wonder Bostonians are so cranky and rude. You could tell when the weather got better, people were happier and nicer.
Has anyone ever experimented with RGB LED's and some sort of controller hooked up to a PC? That way you would be able to change the colortemperature of your lightning source, and get a really cool way of lighting up your office or home. You could even attach some light sensors so that the ambient light level stays the same. When the sun goes down the lights slowly turn on to compensate. Would be cheap in electricity too.
I too programmed for an uncountable number of hours in a similar setup at my university dorm. What I did is keep those bright lights on while wearing a baseball cap. This is very easy on the eyes and keeps you alert.
Why is this the best setup? Studies have shown that having lighting from the sides but not the top, simulating somewhat of an artificial sunset in the horizon, keeps people awake and alert for longer periods of time. Plus, that narrowed field of vision seems to help with concentration. Don't dismiss this until you try it.
I did have a window but I put my back to it. The view was pretty depressing anyway.
