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How do you maximize apple taskbar to 2 monitors?
- Thread starter SDAVE
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The Taskbar does not exist in Mac OS X. The equivalent to the Taskbar in Mac OS X is the Dock... thats the thing on the bottom of your screen.
The menu bar is at the top of your screen, sorta like on Windows except in Windows you have a menu bar for every application.
The menu bar is at the top of your screen, sorta like on Windows except in Windows you have a menu bar for every application.
There is no "Task Bar" in OS X, unless you are using Parallels or VMWare.
Do you mean the Dock?
You can auto-hide the dock. I am not sure about the menu bar, or whatever the bar at the top is called.
Just right-click (or ctrl-click) the divider bar on the Dock and select "Turn Hiding On."
-Sam
P.S. Sorry if I am coming off as a jerk here.
Do you mean the Dock?
You can auto-hide the dock. I am not sure about the menu bar, or whatever the bar at the top is called.
Just right-click (or ctrl-click) the divider bar on the Dock and select "Turn Hiding On."
-Sam
P.S. Sorry if I am coming off as a jerk here.
Taskbar > menu bar....you guys know what I mean.
I don't need an explanation on what the menu bar is...
The dock is hidden, but not the menu bar...
No worries, it's easy on the 'net to look like a jerk but it's hard to be one in real life
I don't need an explanation on what the menu bar is...
The dock is hidden, but not the menu bar...
No worries, it's easy on the 'net to look like a jerk but it's hard to be one in real life
So it's still not possible to extend it to both monitors? I'm willing to buy a small app if it does it.
You would still only have the menus on one monitor, as they are left justified. It just doesn't work that way. It would waste real-estate on the "other" monitor. The Mac switches menu context based on which document is currently being used. The advantage is not wasting real-estate by putting a menu bar on each and every open window.
Yeah but if you have dual monitors you'll see how annoying it is.
I can't have After Effects CS3 in "Full Screen". There is a small space that's left open because of an "empty" menu bar on the second monitor, and since the menu bar on the main monitor won't let me cover it with the application, it looks really awkward.
Do they want us to buy a 30" Apple Cinema Display???
I can't have After Effects CS3 in "Full Screen". There is a small space that's left open because of an "empty" menu bar on the second monitor, and since the menu bar on the main monitor won't let me cover it with the application, it looks really awkward.
Do they want us to buy a 30" Apple Cinema Display???
Yeah but if you have dual monitors you'll see how annoying it is.
I can't have After Effects CS3 in "Full Screen". There is a small space that's left open because of an "empty" menu bar on the second monitor, and since the menu bar on the main monitor won't let me cover it with the application, it looks really awkward.
Do they want us to buy a 30" Apple Cinema Display???
So, the single window spans both monitors? Put whatever you're working on on the other monitor and make it whatever size you like. It won't know about the menu bar unless it spans to the main screen.
I don't have AE CS3, but it should be the same interface as PS CS3, which allows you to go to full screen mode. This turns off the menu bar. Shortcut "f", toggles modes - you can select full screen with or without menu bar.
edit: just checked the AE help and no, it doesn't look like it does full screen like Photoshop. It's designed to work as I described: with your work on one monitor and palettes and tools on the other.
http://livedocs.adobe.com/en_US/AfterEffects/8.0/help.html?content=WS0C0BC162-49C7-42f1-82E1-C8AD24B566F7.html
That has always been one of the things that annoys me about OSX. I would much rather have my menu bars be like it is on windows. To me that just seems to be a much better method and on a quick glance one can see all the menu option of a window weather or not it is it the active window. Oh and this dislike to hatred dates all the back to when I first used a computer with a GUI back over 15 years ago. And yes the mac was the first GUI base system I ever used. Later I got to play with windows 3.1 and it just made so much more since to me have it that way.
The apple way of doing it I do not agree with and have always hated.
The apple way of doing it I do not agree with and have always hated.
That's why there's choice, I guess...
I've used, then developed for GUI's since there were GUI's (hummm - circa 1985?). The majority of my engineering time was spent in and for Windows. I've always felt claustrophobic in Windows, because of the tremendous waste of real-estate. But, this discussion is WAY out of scope for this thread. It's a never-ending one.
Yeah but if you have dual monitors you'll see how annoying it is.
I can't have After Effects CS3 in "Full Screen". There is a small space that's left open because of an "empty" menu bar on the second monitor, and since the menu bar on the main monitor won't let me cover it with the application, it looks really awkward.
Do they want us to buy a 30" Apple Cinema Display???
It ain't annoying, as I have a dual screen setup but my adobe apps are used on the main screen. Any other apps, itunes, ichat etc are on the secondary.
I don't have after effects, but the most common problem I would imagine if you have adobe apps on both monitors it'll think the menubar is there so it leaves that gap, but I've never had this issue with any other app. As all my design work is on the display where the menubar is.
Even still the toolbars are undockable and it'll allow you to fill that part. It may not necessarily fill the whole width, but its still something.
I can't stand the way windows does such things. As I was a PC user before a Mac user, and I prefer the way it does things over windows. Its the same as anything in life, if you don't allow yourself to adjust to changes and find new ways of doing things you'll never get accustomed to it. Or learn the easier ways.
What you could do is lower the position of the external monitor so that the apps are flush with the top of the external too (If it is stretching across). The only downside is that the gap would be on the bottom...
System Preferences -> Displays -> Arrangement
System Preferences -> Displays -> Arrangement
It ain't annoying, as I have a dual screen setup but my adobe apps are used on the main screen. Any other apps, itunes, ichat etc are on the secondary.
I don't have after effects, but the most common problem I would imagine if you have adobe apps on both monitors it'll think the menubar is there so it leaves that gap, but I've never had this issue with any other app. As all my design work is on the display where the menubar is.
Even still the toolbars are undockable and it'll allow you to fill that part. It may not necessarily fill the whole width, but its still something.
I can't stand the way windows does such things. As I was a PC user before a Mac user, and I prefer the way it does things over windows. Its the same as anything in life, if you don't allow yourself to adjust to changes and find new ways of doing things you'll never get accustomed to it. Or learn the easier ways.
It is annoying. I have 20" Samsung Wide LCD's...I need both monitors. I do HD work and my tools and comp previews are on my second monitor and my timeline is extended to the second monitor.
Under Windows, I could force the taskbar to be on the bottom of other active windows. I'm going to call Apple and see if they're going to add this in Leopard. With all the fancy flash that they've been adding to OSX, I can't believe that such a simple "Auto Hide Menu bar" or something similar has not been incorporated yet.
So you just want to stretch blank menubar chrome across the second screen for aesthetic purposes? Why not use that space for palettes?? In an app like that, the best method AFAIAC is to display your projects/documents on one screen and your palettes on the other.
you guys aren't getting what he is saying.
I am in the same boat as him. I have 3 displays. Lets say the center runs photoshop, so the menubar at the top has photoshops menus.
Then, on another monitor, I am running flash in conjunction with photoshop, copying and pasting back and forth. There is no menu bar on this 2nd monitor. So, while running flash, if I need any of flash's menus, I have to go back to the primary monitor (where photoshop fills the screen) and use the menu there.
Me, I have 3 monitors, with the primary all the way on the left. Well, if I am on the 3rd monitor on the far right, say running FTP, and I need the menu, well all the menus for that app are 2 screens away. So, suddenly to do something as simple as access a menu, I have to move my mouse cursor 3 literal feet to the left, across 3 monitors, to get to the menu.
I am sure people who are adept at OSX don't notice this, but coming from a Windows production machine running "Ultramon" (a taskbar on each display that is independent from the others), it's an odd quirk of OSX.
I am in the same boat as him. I have 3 displays. Lets say the center runs photoshop, so the menubar at the top has photoshops menus.
Then, on another monitor, I am running flash in conjunction with photoshop, copying and pasting back and forth. There is no menu bar on this 2nd monitor. So, while running flash, if I need any of flash's menus, I have to go back to the primary monitor (where photoshop fills the screen) and use the menu there.
Me, I have 3 monitors, with the primary all the way on the left. Well, if I am on the 3rd monitor on the far right, say running FTP, and I need the menu, well all the menus for that app are 2 screens away. So, suddenly to do something as simple as access a menu, I have to move my mouse cursor 3 literal feet to the left, across 3 monitors, to get to the menu.
I am sure people who are adept at OSX don't notice this, but coming from a Windows production machine running "Ultramon" (a taskbar on each display that is independent from the others), it's an odd quirk of OSX.
Just FYI - Macs have worked this way since they could support multiple monitors (probably before 1990 - my first with dual support was IIsi, which I believe I got in '91).
I understand that. But how does it make good sense that if I have 3 displays, with Safari on the far right and the menu bar on the far left, that to browse my bookmarks, the menu is 2 screens away?
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Why would you have the main app you were using on one of the other displays, also in safari is a show all bookmarks button on the main window it's self.
In that particular situation, click on the "book" icon on the left of the Safari Menu Bar in the open browser window. (or cmd-opt-B)
You can also use your keyboard to access menu items, if you have Full Keyboard Access enabled (System Prefs > Keyboard & Mouse > Keyboard Shortcuts). ctrl-F2 shift focus to the menu bar. If you are on a MacBook or PowerBook, you might have to also press the "fn" key. Then use the arrow keys to navigate the menus and "return" to select the menu item.
The whole idea of using multiple monitors is to create more useable real-estate. To most, having a blank, useless menu bar running across the top of the secondary monitors wouldn't make sense. Also, again, if the menu bar extended across all monitors, the menus themselves would still be all on the left most monitor.
I think you just completely failed at seeing his pointed. It was an EXAMPLE. I can think of a lot of other things it would be helpful to have it on the same screen. At times if you do not know the short cut for some random comand or if there is not a short cut it is a pain to move to another monitor. I hate it not having it on every window but I would hate it even more if I ran multiple monitors.
To the ones saying it a huge waste of screen space.... Come one really think about that for a 2nd. It is such a narrow space that that little extra bit is next to worthless. I would think having the conveniences of the menu bar up there would be more than worth it. Even if it is just a mirror of the one on the main monitor. It would be a really great and a lot nicer than having to go across multiple monitor just to get the menu item.
Oh and please do not tell me it makes one a more efficient worker on the mac. If anything it makes one more INEFFICIENT when using multiple monitors because not only do you have to waste the time of moving across that much space but it also more difficult to look at both the menu and program at the same time...
No, I completely saw his point. And I deliberately took the example literally. My point was it wasn't necessary to go "three monitors over" to get to a menu. The menu isn't needed for the majority of repetitive tasks. That's what shortcuts are for. If you are productive enough to need multiple monitors, you're already using them - or should, either on OS-X or Windows. If you need to go to the menu to cut/copy/paste/open/close window/in-out, or whatever is common in AE, the entire discussion of the efficiency of menu bar or no menu bar is moot. Even back in 1986, it was hardly ever necessary to go to a menu for most editing (text or vector graphics).
I agree, the menu bar itself isn't that much of an impact space wise. But, if you start extending it across, then duplicating the menus, then triplicating the menus (for the document you're working on on the middle monitor), you end up on the road to Windows. If you wanted to have menus always available for each window open - that IS a waste and, as has been pointed out, is and has been, one of the major differences between Mac and Windows.