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View Full Version : Finally!!!! two separate backgrounds / desktop pictures on dual screen systems



flyinmac
Nov 4, 2007, 07:05 PM
Hello All,

I accidentally discovered that Leopard now has the ability to display two separate background pictures / desktop pictures at the same time on dual monitor systems.

You can see the attached picture for a bit of clarity.

I have the house with trees as the background on the left monitor, and the Earth in space as the background on the right monitor.

I had been wanting this feature in Tiger, and today accidentally discovered it in Leopard.


Eidorian
Nov 4, 2007, 07:07 PM
I remember doing this on dual LCD's back in Tiger. :confused:
swiftaw
Nov 4, 2007, 07:07 PM
Umm, hate to break it to you, but I do that in Tiger all the time.
Nugget
Nov 4, 2007, 07:09 PM
Yeah, this has been possible for as long as I can remember.
Osarkon
Nov 4, 2007, 07:14 PM
Yeah....nothing new.

But it is for you obviously, so erm....hooray. :)
compuguy1088
Nov 4, 2007, 07:15 PM
Umm, hate to break it to you, but I do that in Tiger all the time.

Same here, I recall it did it in Tiger as well. Though it does not match the backdrop from the second screen depending on what monitor is connected to :(.
flyinmac
Nov 4, 2007, 07:22 PM
Wow, I'm surprised you had that working in Tiger.

I tried it when I got the Mac Pro a few months back with 10.4.10. And, couldn't find a way to make it work.

Perhaps my installation was just broken then.

Or, were you guys using some work-around to make it work?

I was quite surprised to see two separate background screens come up (one on each monitor) with Leopard since Tiger wouldn't do that for me.

In Tiger, I did have a monitor control panel on each screen for adjusting resolution, color depth, etc. But, for the background image, it would set both screens to the same picture no matter what I did.

Again, perhaps I just had a broken Tiger :confused:
Nugget
Nov 4, 2007, 07:25 PM
No hacks or funny business, Tiger just did the same thing Leopard is (now) doing for you.
apfhex
Nov 4, 2007, 07:26 PM
Again, perhaps I just had a broken Tiger :confused:
I think so. :)

That's been a feature since I first used OS X with dual monitors, 10.1 at least, probably 10.0 and even older (personally never used multiple displays with OS 9, 8, etc.).

What would be a feature is spanning the same desktop picture (say, 3840x1200 for two 23" displays) across multiple displays. Doesn't matter to me — it's easy just to have two half's to a picture on each display — but some lazy people want that.
flyinmac
Nov 4, 2007, 07:31 PM
Well, I guess it must have just been a broken installation on my system then.

I guess I just figured it was like that for everyone.
Osarkon
Nov 4, 2007, 07:32 PM
What would be a feature is spanning the same desktop picture (say, 3840x1200 for two 23" displays) across multiple displays. Doesn't matter to me — it's easy just to have two half's to a picture on each display — but some lazy people want that.

I for one would love to have that feature.
elbirth
Nov 4, 2007, 07:33 PM
yeah, as everyone has said, this was in Tiger and I did it all the time on my triple monitor setup...

I think OS X needs a little bit better multiple monitor support though... for some reason every once in a while when I drag a window from one monitor to another, when I release the mouse button, the window will snap back to the main screen, usually the with top bar out of the screen so I can't click and drag it around anymore. This happened in Tiger and now in Leopard (mostly with Firefox, but other applications too).
GimmeSlack12
Nov 4, 2007, 07:42 PM
Well, I guess it must have just been a broken installation on my system then.

No. You just didn't figure it out.
And I have no clue as to what a 'broken installation' is.
vandlism
Nov 4, 2007, 09:32 PM
i had this back in the days of OS 8 and 9 I am pretty sure... anyways, it is definitely not a new feature.
skeen
Nov 4, 2007, 09:58 PM
LMAO! Oldest feature ever! I don't think I've ever not done this.
big
Nov 4, 2007, 10:06 PM
Goes waaaay back to OS 7.6!
kkat69
Nov 4, 2007, 10:17 PM
Well, I guess it must have just been a broken installation on my system then.

I guess I just figured it was like that for everyone.

Don't feel bad, I STILL don't know how to do it. Even though I don't dual monitor enough to try, but I am sitting here with 2 monitors and I haven't figured it out yet. LOL
riverfreak
Nov 4, 2007, 10:29 PM
Old feature.

Off topic - but somewhat related:

What is really needed is the ability to change the desktop picture on different SPACES - and to have the desktops represented in thumbnail in the space switcher and dock. This is the standard way virtual desktops work in Linux.

It is difficult to remember in which space a select app or window is. And command-tabbing between apps or moving between spaces often changes the hierarchy of windows in a given space. Very confusing. Spaces would be very easy to distinguish with simple thumbnails or distinct desktops.
kkat69
Nov 4, 2007, 10:59 PM
Old feature.

Off topic - but somewhat related:

What is really needed is the ability to change the desktop picture on different SPACES - and to have the desktops represented in thumbnail in the space switcher and dock. This is the standard way virtual desktops work in Linux.

It is difficult to remember in which space a select app or window is. And command-tabbing between apps or moving between spaces often changes the hierarchy of windows in a given space. Very confusing. Spaces would be very easy to distinguish with simple thumbnails or distinct desktops.

YES this is the feature I would like to figure out how to do. And the number at the top of the screen on the menu bar is there yes (for those about to quote that obvious item) but quick visual reference a different desktop would be nicer. Desktop Manager still sorta works and I use it since it flashes the name of the virtual desktop so until we can change desktop in spaces I'll use it.
illegalprelude
Nov 4, 2007, 11:53 PM
i was about to say...I made Tiger do this lol...

But glad its finally working for you man
flyinmac
Nov 5, 2007, 12:13 AM
i was about to say...I made Tiger do this lol...

But glad its finally working for you man

Yep. Glad it's working now to :D

Not sure why the feature didn't show up in Tiger for me. Perhaps it's because I added the second monitor later? Or, perhaps something in my prefs was just messed-up.

Who knows.

But, I am glad it jumped right out and grabbed me in the Leopard desktop settings.

Did it work the same way in Tiger as it does in Leopard? One desktop selector screen on each monitor? Or, was there some other place you had to go to set it up in Tiger?
byakuya
Nov 5, 2007, 01:30 AM
I remember doing this on dual LCD's back in Tiger. :confused:

true...using an external monitor with two different wallpapers in tiger as I write...
Osarkon
Nov 5, 2007, 12:31 PM
Did it work the same way in Tiger as it does in Leopard? One desktop selector screen on each monitor? Or, was there some other place you had to go to set it up in Tiger?

Yep, it worked in exactly the same manner as it does in Leopard. :)
flyinmac
Nov 5, 2007, 12:56 PM
Yep, it worked in exactly the same manner as it does in Leopard. :)

That is weird. Must have been something strange going on with my Tiger installation then. Because it didn't show the panel to change the background for the other monitor.

Whatever background I chose for the one screen was automatically applied to the second screen.

Oh, well. As long as it works now, I'm fine. I probably won't have any reason to go back to Tiger anyway.