Dual monitors and fullscreen fiasco, is there a work around?

I don't think they'll do it because the way it is now was a deliberate design decision -- mission control IS aware of multiple monitors (you can see it when you activate it), it's just that one virtual space spans across multiple monitors -- for whatever reason, they thought this would be the "right" way to do things, even though that in the REAL PHYSICAL world, those are TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SPACES -- and when you try to tell apple that they're wrong, they will either ignore you, or if enough people complain, they will hold a stupid "event" and give away free stuff (antennagate ;p) -- I know I'm being calous and sarcastic..sorry, long day.

Maybe they'll change it -- the diagram is a nice touch -- maybe someone from apple will actually look at your suggestion and read this and other threads talking about the problem. But on the other hand..

Then there's other opinions out there that differ and say that the way full screen apps work now is better than how it was before:

http://osxdaily.com/2011/08/11/multiple-displays-full-screen-apps-mac-os-x-lion/

They claim that the fact you can drag an app's widgets \ panels onto the blacked out monitors areas as being the way that this is "supposed" to work -- but what widgets and panels does quick time have? The stupid play \ pause \ timeline bar? I think this only applies to programs that actually have components like that -- and anyways, I'd much rather drag them onto another monitor with other stuff on it so I can multitask, not drag it on to a black space ^_^

This is how I've worked using photoshop for years -- I drag the history window on to a second monitor and all the other little tool windows too...and then maybe I'll also keep a browser on that display as well as an IM client.

I think the whole full screen app mode is just a bad idea in general -- the stupid transition effect takes a few extra seconds to put the app into full screen "mode" and plus some times you will see the top menu bar flicker when using mission control...but -- I can see how it would be useful for some apps...That's why I think your idea is probably the best -- keep it how it is by default but add the option for others who don't want it that way to unlink multiple displays in mission control.

@ Phero2: disagree. The fix looks simple to me, just do what the current version of Chrome does when fullscreen is selected. When fullscreened, it leaves the other monitor free, no matter what monitor it is running on.

Seriously? I gotta try this. I've never used chrome on mac. Let me give it a shot ^_^

So I'm not a developer (for OS X anyways) but if what you're saying is true then it looks like there's something that individual app developers can do to make sure that when their app runs in full screen, it doesn't blank out the other displays. Obviously for safari, quick time, and anything made by apple, they won't do this, and let's say they never unlink displays from mission control (ie. they never implement smokemonster's solution) -- this is at least hope that *something* can be done.

EDIT:

Can you tell me what version of chrome you're using? The latest one is afaik 17.0.963.46 -- and it's still blanking out the secondary monitor when I run it in full screen mode on 10.7.3 with all the latest updates....

Also btw not to be mean but your post crushed my hope 😟

Thanks for the welcome Network 23

I know what you mean. No need for 10 different ways of doing something if there is one way that works the best. But keep in mind, this must be practiced very carefully. Apple obviously went overboard with a few things.

When an advanced OS can't do what you consider to be a rudimentary feature, thats too much limitation, and not at all acceptable. This is where things take the ugly turn to some form of Despotism. Sounds extreme but in essense, its exactly that.

The only proof you need that Apple goes a bit too far with these limitations is when a Windows convert has to say, "uh oh, this can't be done here, oh well"; and I've said that half a dozen times at least in the last 2 days.

To give you a very simple and extremely annoying example off the top of my head is the inablity to MOVE files instead of having to COPY then go back and DELETE. Holding the commad key is not the answer since it doesn't work when there is a overwriting situation, its also a cumbersome process involving both hands. OS X simply doesn't have a convenient way of moving files. I stared at the screen for a full minute in utter shock when I realised this. Its a shame when you have to look for workarounds for simple things like this.

And that is another thing I notice. These forums are full of the word WORKAROUND. That should tell you something about how the users feel about OS X.

http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/2581/os_x_move_files_instead_copying/

samhaque wrote:

To give you a very simple and extremely annoying example off the top of my head is the inablity to MOVE files instead of having to COPY then go back and DELETE...Its a shame when you have to look for workarounds for simple things like this.

I agree. I don't run Windows much, but I prefer how Windows lets you right-drag and you get a nice little menu to control move vs. copy. As you encounter these areas where Windows does something better than the Mac, I am sorry you will now be facing the Mac fanboys in forums who will try to rationalize these things and insist beyond reason that the Windows method is somehow worse. Hopefully you will continue to find the overall Mac experience to be net positive.

To me, the full screen mode is still broken in Mavericks. My setup is dual screen, 30" + 24" rotated. I have my programming IDE on the left 30" and a testing Chrome browser on the right 24". But I also have GMail and other stuff on another Chrome window on the 30". I can't seem to cmd-tab to this window without manually exiting the full screen mode of my IDE. I just get to the right Chrome window on the 24" and if I try to cycle between windows within app, I no longer have the ability to go to another screen.

The rules seem to be: when cmd-tabbing to an app, only if there is only a window for this app on the currently full screened screen, switch away the full screen and show this window. So as long as I have a Chrome window on my right screen I can NEVER get my IDE to move away and show the Chrome window on my left. Borked.

Indeed … there are problems I've had with OS X since 10.0, which I foolishly thought would always get fixed in the next version … etc, they don't seem to ever fix long term bugs, they're too busy wasting money on other stuff like a new donut shaped saucer style headquarters, share price based monetary obsession, sapphire glass and patent trolling, to be able to concentrate on making a great productive refined operating system or indeed most importantly listening to their users. I think the problem with apple seeming incapable of fixing they're own bugs must be related to the way they organize coding on their software and operating systems, perhaps they're heavily dependant on individuals whose code is no doubt unintelligible to others on the team, as such if that person leaves apple, the code becomes legacy and cannot be operated on. Many pieces of software I have purchased have died a death this way, with an increasingly untouchable code base. I even had one developer for a different company openly admit as such to me about they're own code base. The Hash they've made of the operating system, successive itunes revamps and the incredible final cut pro debacle, Its mind blowing to me they could damage they're own products and not have the intelligence necessary to realise it, or do do something about it, they're too big ultimately this will lead them to get worse and worse at what they do, they are now the big brother in they're 1984 advert, vainly spouting propaganda and ideology about themselves at others and their staff without listening to anyone, stuck on they're agenda which has little to do with increasing the productivity of computer users, there OS's now mainly revolve around entertainment and are tailored to sell more media from apples own online stores, further locking you further through media and app investment into they're walled garden and share price increase. Sadly theyre is little alternative as most tech giants are at the same torrid game.

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

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

Azathoth101 wrote:

You can't have it both ways - last year anyone using OS X that wanted a maximize or fullscreen button was laughed at for not having the multi-tasking mindset. This year Apple introduces full-screen so that "now you can concentrate on one thing at a time without distractions".

You can definitely have MS and multiple displays. Spaces was never about "no distractions" it was about workflows and the ability to isolate them. What this does is expand them to Desktops which takes more time to navigate through and swipe through.

There are a number of things against your poor argument relying on the notion that apple did this to make you conectrate on one thing. Riddle me this though, what if what you are doing requires you to look at more then one thing?

I've suggested in feedback that they unlink the displays so they use MS independently of eachother, this simple fix would solve everyone's issue with FS apps MS and multiple displays and still give other people the function that they have now. a simple toggle for mission control and multiple displays to unlink them would be one feature to save them all!! who's with me?

ontop of monetary benefits (multiple thunderbolt displays), I see this as something that would increase someone's workflow.

My idea:

brucemeacbook, no one has responded to you for quite some time here. The header of each person's post tells you who they are responding to unless they explicitly refer to you within the body of the text.

That being said, this is definitely not the issue on this thread. The issue is "Dual Monitors and FULLSCREEN fiasco".

Your issue sounds like you got a high resolution screen (or maybe not) and can't really see the details since everything is smaller since the resolution is too grande for your use.

try going to system preferences>display and change your screen's resolution to be lower. This will make everything look "bigger".

Or post your concern in a new topic because you are definitely not understanding the OP's concerns.

This is what the screen looks like to change the resolution.

Respectfully, when you say "Fullscreen in Lion works well for me" what you describe as working for you is the "green button to maximize the window's size" (nicely described in Mac 101: The FInder). You are not describing the feature of OS X Lion called "Full-Screen Apps", which is the feature of OS X Lion that many of us who use multiple monitors find comletely unworkable for reasons described clearly and exhaustively above (and elsewhere).

The idea of making an app go full screen using the Full-Screen Apps feature (or fullscreen mode, as opposed to a maximized window size) is indeed neat - it just doesn't work when you have multiple monitors because it renders all but one monitor useless.

I confess to being confused by my initial reading of your post because after you say fullscreen works for you, you then advise readers to use the maximize window button and not to use fullscreen. However, you do find fullscreen useful when you only have one monitor.

When you say at the end that you use multiple monitors and like the new feature of OS X Lion can you confirm you are talking about using the double arrow in the top-right corner of the app window to go full screen as described in the "Full-Screen Apps" article (images below)?

If you've found a way to use the Full-Screen Apps mode AND have all your monitors working then please post your method.

@ NiqueXyZ: I need no explaination of what fullscreen is but thx. The proof is below...

screen 1: Chrome beta:

Screen 2: whatever you want, tv, itunes, whatever:

...But any combination can be used. I think this is what users want, from reading this forum. However, it only works with the Chrome beta (apparently). Cheers!

The way I understand it, there is just one lion FS with an api available for apps to use. Apple has implemented in one way, and Google another. Within apple apps, the implementation is not even consistent, as can be noted by trying FS within the range of apple apps. So it seems what should be done is for Apple to listen to folks and implement more like chrome, and not like safari:

This is how you do it:

Make the screen that you want to view the video (or app) on the "primary screen".

This is done in System Preferences > Displays > Arrangement

Click and Drag the little white bar (representing the menu bar) to whichever display you want to be primary.

Here is Apple's support document:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5079?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

I know this isn't a complete workaround but I noticed that many of you are wanting to play fullscreen video on your second screen. If you open a video file with VLC and tweak the preferences you can still accomplish this. Simply open the "Video" preferences tab in VLC and uncheck the box next to the option "Black screens in Fullscreen mode." This then gives you the functionality you have been missing. Also, if you want to change which screen the fullscreen video displays on simply click "Video" in the menu bar and hover on "Full Screen Video Device." Changing "Screen 1" or "Screen 2" will pop your fullscreen video to that respective screen. I can't wait until Apple fixes this problem for all applications hopefully in the next release canidate for Mac OS X.

Let Apple know how you feel about it here: http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

On my Mackbook Pro 13" I am using Parallels 7 Desktop for Mac on Lion 10.7.4 to run Windows 7 Pro in the virtual machine. Parallels has an opton to "Use Mac OS X Full Screen" (see image below).

When working without an external monitor I find this very handy. You make the app window "full-screen" with the double-headed arrow and the app goes full screen in its own desktop. One can simply do the 4-finger swipe to move to one desktop to another.

BUT, try this with an external monitor attached an we're back to the same problem - make Parallels full-screen and the other screen(s) become unusable.

I have tried de-selecting the option to "Use Mac OS X Full Screen" and, with some fooling around depending upon the order in which I start applications, I can get Parallels full-screen in one monitor and use various apps in the other - I can even drag a Mac app over the full-screen Parallels app. Clearly Parallels has figured that users want to have their app full-screen on one monitor while leaving other monitors available. To do this they cannot use "Mac OS X Full Screen" but have to use some other mechniasm.

However, and I admit not fully exploring all the options, Parallels implementation of full-screen has other issues. This just speaks to the need for Apple to implement Full-Screen in a manner that works as we want (leaving other monitors usable) without forcing developers to implement their own unique full-screen mechanisms that, predictably, will not all work the same of may introduce other application-specific quirks.

In looking at Parallels to the limited extent I have, I noticed a disturbing behaviour. Regardless of whether an app is in the (non-Apple) full-screen mod or not, with an external monitor attached if I do the 4-finger swipe across the track pad BOTH monitors move simultaniously through their desktops rather than the swipe effecting only the monitor where the cursor happens to be.

This is problematic for me. For example, if I have Parallels full-screen on the external monitor on the left and say Safari on the Macbook Pro and with the cursor on the Mackbook screen 4-finger swipe in either direction, both monitors move to their own next desktop and Parallels dissappears from my left monitor as does Safari from the Macbook Pro.

I may not have described this well or extensively and the discussion of this "desktop" behaviour is probably a diversion from this group (although related). Can anyone advise where I might best discuss this particular topic?

Thanks folks.