Dual Monitors and Mission Control

[okimasa]

Hello everyone! This is my first post In case you need to know about my Mac, my details are listed below.

Anyway, I bought an external monitor and just got it set up (yay!) and I have a question about using multiple desktops and mission control.

This is the first time I've ever used multiple monitors, so I'm kind of a noob at it. However, from my understanding, it appears like my secondary monitor is just acting like more desktop for each desktop set up on my primary monitor. This kind of is annoying because when I switch desktops in Mission Control on my main monitor, they switch simultaneously on the secondary as well.

I guess to get to the core of my question, is there a way to have a completely independent desktop set up on each monitor?

Thanks

----

My Mac:
2010 15" MacBook Pro
2.4GHz i5
8GB RAM
750GB HDD 7200rpm
OS 10.8

My Monitor:
24" 1080p Asus
DVI (with a DVI/MiniDisplay port Adapter)

 

[jhenry]

System Preferences > Display > Arrangement

Make sure 'Mirror Displays' is unchecked...

Since 10.7 each monitor is grouped together in mission control under one 'space'... You can use each monitor individually by dragging apps into each monitor as long as you don't full screen, but you can't individually switch a screen in mission control, has to be both at one.


Worse in fullscreen as your second monitor becomes a linen texture.

10.7 upwards handles multiple monitors really badly actually, was hoping it would be addressed in 10.8 but nope.

One of the whole reasons for the pro 'Apple don't care about us' arguments.

 

[arjen92]

Yep, it is more desktop. If you open mission control you can see that there's another desktop on your external screen for every desktop you have on your macbook pro screen.

I have my external screen (I have a macbook pro 13" with an external 1920x1080 screen) set as the main screen, so with the dock and menu bar. Then I use my macbook screen for additional software. e.g. Mail, Spotify etc.

I actually don't like mission control, so I don't use it. I just put everything on the two screens I have. Else there's no way for me to know where everything is. I find it easier. (perhaps it's not, but I tried changing my way of working and I don't feel like trying anymore).

 

[thasan]

Hello everyone! This is my first post In case you need to know about my Mac, my details are listed below.

Anyway, I bought an external monitor and just got it set up (yay!) and I have a question about using multiple desktops and mission control.

This is the first time I've ever used multiple monitors, so I'm kind of a noob at it. However, from my understanding, it appears like my secondary monitor is just acting like more desktop for each desktop set up on my primary monitor. This kind of is annoying because when I switch desktops in Mission Control on my main monitor, they switch simultaneously on the secondary as well.

I guess to get to the core of my question, is there a way to have a completely independent desktop set up on each monitor?

Thanks

----

My Mac:
2010 15" MacBook Pro
2.4GHz i5
8GB RAM
750GB HDD 7200rpm
OS 10.8

My Monitor:
24" 1080p Asus
DVI (with a DVI/MiniDisplay port Adapter)

i dont think it can be controlled. mission control is activated for both monitors at the same time if i know it correctly.

 

[fnegrin]

The real answer to the initial question

http://totalspaces.binaryage.com/multi-monitors2