I think it's a lucky coincidence that the console width is near the optimal width for eye movement.
I think it's an excellent design choice that the console width is near the optimal width for eye movement.
While it's not a cast-iron rule, I do tend to keep code lines under 80 chars. It's easier to read, easier to debug, prints neatly on pretty much any output device and encourages critical thinking. All IMHO. For collaborative code, perltidy is the winner.
perlcritic (at least version 1.125) seems perfectly happy with absurdly long lines, which is somewhat surprising.