Screen Resolutions in OSX 10.8

Maybe someone can help, but if not - Apple, please sort this out, I've read complaints all over the net going back years...

Screen Resolutions. This isn't difficult Apple. The video card in my 2008 Mac Pro (a geforce somethignorother) can display all manner of resolutions - pretty much anything under 25**x1*** (whatever that res is) is supported. I know this because nvidia state as much on their website, and also because every single video card since the beginning of time (which, for me and computers, was circa 1996) can do it.

So why, when I connect a 24" Acer LCD screen (with a native resolution of 1920x1200) via VGA (vga because it's what I've got running under the floor) do the video resolution options in OSX only include 4:3 and 16:9 formats? I don't want 1920x1080. It's pathetic. My 2006 mac pro running 10.5 has no such problem. This 2008 Mac pro had no such problem while running 10.6 a few years ago.

Here's another example. After giving up with the 24" Acer (being advised to BUY a bit of software to access a resolution is ridiculous), I plugged in my 32" Sony LCD screen, again via VGA. This was interesting. Sony on their website stated that 1360x768 was the highest resolution accessable via VGA, despite the TV supporting 1920x1080 via digital inputs. As soon as OSX detects the TV then surely, 1360x768 is the highest offered resolution. But, if I boot the computer without the TV being on, then switch the TV on, I can set it to 1920x1080, and all is well. Work that one out Sony. A combination of Sony trying to limit their cheap tvs, and Apple interfering.

Anyway, my basic argument and complaint is this: I hate little more than computers that think they're smarter than the user. Even if we disgard the Sony example (which is doubtless a line of code written in the TV, rather than a technical limitation (as I own the 37" version of the TV, and it works at 1080p via VGA no probs - doubt they've engineered two different VGA circuits...)) - there is no excuse for OSX wrongly detecting a screen and displaying incorrect resolutions. Have an idiot mode by all means, but let me adjust the resolution beyond that. Give me access to all resolutions at all times.