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Anyone grasped dual monitors with Lion yet?

I know it's fairly early days, but I cannot seem to get dual monitors with full screen Apps sussed out. It seems the second monitor doesn't like to join in the fun.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.7)

Posted on Jul 20, 2011 11:42 AM

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93 replies

Jul 28, 2011 7:48 AM in response to Thespenny

I just sent this feedback to Apple:


At the moment when an app like Mail is set to full screen on a multiple monitor setup it goes to full screen on the main display, but the other display then becomes completely unused.


I understand that the main use of full screen apps may be to allow people to work on one app without distractions but it would be nice to have the option to work in another way.


There are several options which would be great to improve how this works on multiple monitors. For example it could be possible to have a different app running in full screen mode on the other display, or other windows from the current app, like pages or safari for example. Another nice option for an app like iTunes or iCal would be to have the option to spread the app across both screens.


I'm sure Apple has already looked into these possibilities, hopefully they will release an update soon which allows multiple monitors to be fully utilised with full screen apps.

Jul 29, 2011 1:58 PM in response to Thespenny

This is the single reason why I am still using Snow Leopard on my iMac which has two additional displays connected to its ThunderBolt ports.


I didn't buy monitors to display fake grey linen. The real linen is cheaper.


Please provide feedback on this design decision via -http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html


I'm hoping that if enough pressure is built up, they'll add an option:-


"Allow me to use my external displays = Yes/No"


I use Aperture, and here is what it looks like under Snow Leopard


User uploaded file

When running Lion, the left and right screens look like this

User uploaded file

Jul 30, 2011 1:11 PM in response to Thespenny

And it gets even worse, not only is OS X Lion totally clueless on how to handle multiple monitors, but all of the new Apps - Final Cut X, Motion 5, iPhoto 11 etc. They can no longer take advantage of the extra screen real estate, no longer can you undock and rearrange windows, menus and pallets across your screens as you could in previous versions, iPhoto 11 no longer permits you to run slideshows across your additional monitors - it now just defaults to a single display while the others remain black. Are we to expect this retardation to spread over to the new versions of iWork as well? A bleak future indeed!


Motion 4 screenshot

User uploaded file

Motion 5 screenshot

User uploaded file

Jul 30, 2011 5:53 PM in response to sach84

sach84 wrote:


Just make your secondary monitor the main display (primary). to do this, go to system prefs > displays > arrangement > and drag the menu bar to the 2nd monitor making it the primary and therefore whether you're in normal mode or fullscreen app mode, they will all display on your primary screen.

That allows a change in display used.


But it doesn't solve the problem that the (now) secondary screen is filled with a useless linen pattern rather than the windows and apps which I want to be able to see and interact with.

Aug 1, 2011 9:51 PM in response to John Kitchen

Maybe if i cuss apple will look at this forum....... People had set ups and when you release a new operating system it should not effect the ways people use thier overall set up. I have a 900 dollar apple display that I cannot even use effectively. Apple, why are you not paying attention to this thread and fixing this huuuuge issue. Therefore, since there has not been a response from the apple team on this forum, i would like to make sure that they see this thread and therefore the following words are intended simply for the purose of seeing to it that someone sees this thread. I love apple products, but it is obvious that they are acting like a standard money grubbing corporation. I have spent over 10k on apple products for my family and they release this os and it has done nothing but cause me fuuuuckkking problems. This is bull ****.

Aug 12, 2011 9:34 PM in response to Thespenny

I HATED full screen when I discovered that it locked to a single display.


Here's a WONKY kind-of solution . . . It's a bug probably, but it does work with one caveat. If you launch an app that supports the full-screen thingy, don't click on it, cause it'll get sent to it's own full-screen page.


http://geetduggal.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/reclaiming-your-second-monitor-in-os- x-lion/


Kudos to those guys who discovered this bug (or whatever it is, I like it!).

Aug 28, 2011 7:52 AM in response to Sean Grazette

Sean Grazette wrote:


...I wonder how many people will shell out $999 a pop for a second Thunderbolt Cinema display when they realize the OS renders it practically useless.


Good point. I haven't upgraded because I need my two screens. Lion will be a retrograde step for me in this respect.


Over 250 new features! The media didn't tells us that we lose some stuff too did they?


I'm all for Autosaving and versioning and all that. They at least make Lion tempting to me. But, to be perfectly frank, Apple should have added those functions way back in the OS 9 days. I have had the use of such features since at least the late 1990s on the PC at work.

Anyone grasped dual monitors with Lion yet?

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