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

Thank you for providing this.

If you are a moderator (or the moderator) please contact me off-discussion.

Zack,

The TOU do not limit the discussion to Apple hardware/software. The first post by da bishop that was edited did nothing more than suggest to another user that VirtueDesktops might offer functionality that the user was missing. How do I know? I quoted it and the quote is still intact, as is my mention of VirtueDesktops.

The bottom line is that somebody on the moderator side of things decided to edit a post to remove a mention of software that used to be quite popular prior to Apple even developing Spaces. I spent years moderating various forums and I well and truly know that it's generally a thankless job. Nonetheless, the edits put forth in this thread were unwarranted. The software mentioned doesn't even work on anything later than Tiger and poses no risk to Apple or its customers. Moreover, the same software was discussed by others (specifically myself) and the content was not edited, indicating arbitrary and inconsistent application of moderation.

I appreciate that moderation is necessary, but this is a case where it was uncalled for and unwarranted in a discussion that has remained 100% civil and helpful across its entire 32 pages.

Warmest regards,

trane

How does virtuedesktop compare to totalspaces, I wonder?

totalspaces has lion support - http://totalspaces.binaryage.com/

I've not used it but it seems to be a very popular tool for replacing the expose features Steve Jobs himself demonstrated on stage at the release of OS X panther, and were then aimlessly removed in Lion.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Trane. I see the posts were removed last night by another moderator. I know that when a moderator sees the word "hack" in a post and a link to a website that is not run by Apple, they may be quick to edit or remove. I will bring this issue up to the rest of the moderation team and we will look into whether removing these posts was in the best interests of Apple Support Communities.

NiqueXyZ wrote:

How does virtuedesktop compare to totalspaces, I wonder?

totalspaces has lion support - http://totalspaces.binaryage.com/

I've not used it but it seems to be a very popular tool for replacing the expose features Steve Jobs himself demonstrated on stage at the release of OS X panther, and were then aimlessly removed in Lion.

I haven't tried TotalSpaces, but I was a longtime user of VirtueDesktops on Tiger. My sense from looking at the TotalSpaces screenshots and site is that the functionality seems very similar. Since it seems to address pretty much all the shortcomings of Mission Control, if/as/when I migrate to Lion, TotalSpaces will be THE first application I try/buy. VirtueDesktops didn't have any Exposé functionality (it worked well with that feature of OS X), but TotalSpaces seems to implement (or will) that, too. I'm very curious about it. (I'm reluctant to try it in the MBA as it's my daughter's window to the world. If I were to hose that box, I'd be in deep kaa-kaa.)

On a completely different note, I remember reading some number of pages ago that somebody was thinking about getting around the grey linen issue by replacing the graphic with a transparent file. In thinking about this, I realized that doing so would only make it so that one could view their own wallpaper; it wouldn't address being able to see other applications. This is because the single-app paradigm employed by fullscreen mode places the fullscreen app onto its own virtual desktop. This means that any other app windows would be on different virtual desktops and unviewable in any case. So, changing the linen graphic to a transparent equivalent wouldn't net anything useful.

That was me who thought of that 😝

And **** it -- I kind of figured it would not work -- such a solution would be too easy \ obvious and someone would have prob. figured it out already if it were that simple as replacing the canvas with a transparent png ^_^

NiqueXyZ wrote:

That was me who thought of that 😝

And **** it -- I kind of figured it would not work -- such a solution would be too easy \ obvious and someone would have prob. figured it out already if it were that simple as replacing the canvas with a transparent png ^_^

And, of course, the other problem would be that since the transparent file would have focus, at best you would have been able to view the other app windows, but not interact with them. 😐

Unfortunately, TotalSpaces (to change topic again) just doesn't have any way of undoing this single-app "feature" of Lion. So we're still looking at 3rd-party apps or maximized windows to keep our external monitors working. At least Lion's maximize works better (Shift-Click the maximize button on a window).

I use multiple monitors and I swear by MenuPop, available on the App store, $5 or so. A quick-key combo (I use ALT-TAB) will pop a Menubar pull-menu right at curser location. It's better than multiple menus, even better than a menu on each Window (u-Soft style). Whichever monitor you're on , you simply hit the quick key and the Menubar options are right there. You don't have to move the mouse at all!

why pay someone five dollars for something that is already built into the system?

Way to destroy your reputation, apple! I'm a photographer and a developer and for the first time in YEARS i'm seriously considering going back to windows. Having multiple displays is the BASICS of any fast workflow: graphic design, photography, programming, movie editing, even gaming! i don't know what apple was thinking when they killed that functionality (this is NOT a feature, it's a BUG) but if they don't fix it soon, i'm going back to windows. at least they're not trying to make a teapot out of a curling iron. Apple, desktop computers are called desktop FOR A REASON - they're not portable iOS devices, so STOP TRYING TO MAKE THEM THE SAME!!! you're ruining the product line!

Jerry Dalton1 wrote:

I use multiple monitors and I swear by MenuPop, available on the App store, $5 or so. A quick-key combo (I use ALT-TAB) will pop a Menubar pull-menu right at curser location. It's better than multiple menus, even better than a menu on each Window (u-Soft style). Whichever monitor you're on , you simply hit the quick key and the Menubar options are right there. You don't have to move the mouse at all!

Thanks for the suggestion! I just got it and like it although I'm still figuring out the best key/mouse trigger for it.

HOW ABOUT FIXING THE F^$&ing OS!

It sure looks like they're going to fix this issue in Mountain Lion. Here's what apple's website says:

Go full screen on any display

If you have a secondary display connected to your Mac, you can take an app full screen on either display. Drag the window to the desired display and click the full-screen button.

http://www.apple.com/osx/whats-new/features.html#system

It's not fixed in ML -- it still blanks out the seconday display(s) when running a full screen app on one display.

What IS fixed is now that when you full screen an app it will go full screen on whatever display it's running on, not just the one with the main taskbar on it.

NiqueXyZ wrote:

It's not fixed in ML -- it still blanks out the seconday display(s) when running a full screen app on one display.

What IS fixed is now that when you full screen an app it will go full screen on whatever display it's running on, not just the one with the main taskbar on it.

Your post in which you confirmed this earlier in the thread was deleted by the moderators. Doncha just love the ability to share knowledge knowing that it will stand the test of time?