… be sure to turn on ClearType. It makes a big difference
to legibility of text on LCDs (flat panels and laptop screens). And
it’s not turned on by default.
To turn it on, right click anywhere on your desktop background, and
select Properties from the menu that pops up. A Display
Properties window will appear. Click on the Appearance
tab, then the Effects… button. There’s a checkbox that’s
labeled Use the following method to smooth edges of screen
fonts:. Make sure the box is checked, and that the drop-down
selection in the following box says ClearType.
Leave a window with small text open in the background when you do this
(like a web page) and you’ll immediately see a big improvement in
legibility of the text.
Charles Engelke's Blog 