Video Shows Differences Between Mavericks and Mountain Lion Multiple Monitor Support

[blizaine]

In regards to one screen vs multiscreen switching, it seems apple could fix this with gestures. 3 fingers switches one screen, 4 fingers switches all of them. And/or they could auto-dissable single screen switching on the fly when someone stretches an app across multiple displays to fix that issue.

 

[killmoms]

The problem is full screen apps and how they are treated as their own space in Mission Control. As soon as you try to mix and match these behaviors everything stops making sense.

It's not easy to describe all the pitfalls with either approach until you sit down and use it. Apple has changed things to allow for a very desired use case - simultaneous full screen apps - at the expense of the ability to span a single space across multiple monitors.

It seems to me that that’s the only problem with the new system. If full-screen apps now just “took the full screen on the existing Space” you could have the best of both worlds: full screen apps that don’t make all the other monitors pointless, but still have the ability to “context switch” all screens at once.

For me, I’ve always used Spaces with multiple monitors as a way to divide groups of applications (all “Internet” applications on this space, productivity apps on these couple spaces, music apps/overflow on this other space, etc.), so losing the ability to context-switch all screens at once is frustrating.

And the new behavior could still be addressed (in a way) by telling an app to assign itself to “All Spaces” so it always comes along for the ride when you switch contexts.

I dunno, it always seems like two steps forward, one step back with Apple’s support for multiple monitors + multiple desktops.

 

[theluggage]

For instance, application windows cannot be used across multiple monitors anymore -- windows can only be used on one monitor at a time.

I think this thread is illustrating why multiple monitor support & full screen worked the way it did in 10.8: any other solution is a can of worms requiring lots of options to suit everybody.


You can see how these problems arise if you think about it (and that's without knowing the technicalities of how this stuff is actually implemented):

In ML when you 'full screen' an app, it creates its own 'space' (spanning both screens) - which is great, because you can use spaces to flick between full-screen apps (including any of their palettes that you've dragged onto the 'spare' screen). So if you allow a different full-screen app on each monitor, you pretty much have to give each monitor its own set of spaces.

If each monitor has its own set of spaces, and windows can overlap monitors, things are going to get really hairy.

Now, take 3 monitors, full-screen an app in the middle monitor, then extend a window off the edge of the left-hand monitor. Where does it go? Now de-full-screen the app in the middle. What happens then?

Erk! better just stop windows spanning screens.

UI design is hard.

Personally, although I was originally miffed at the way full screen turned off my second screen, it then started to make sense. Firstly, it was mainly useful for people with small, single screens (Airs etc.) who wanted to concentrate on a single app, maximising screen estate and reducing the use of floating windows. If you've got multiple 24" monitors, just use the little green "+" sign that we've had since forever.

Or, if you have multiple screens and do want to use a full-screen app, use your second screen to park all the control palettes, and fill the main screen with your work. Then use Spaces to flip between programs. Works great with something like Pixelmator (wonder how that works in the new regime?)

Good job they left an off switch.

 

[killmoms]

Unless you go in preferences and turn it on. Turn it on by unchecking the box. Makes it work just like in ML. Screens switch together and windows span monitors. Maybe we can get MR to update their story with the fact that the guy who made the video did not even try very hard.

Image

He says that IN the video. Did you even watch it? The point was by switching back to that behavior, you LOSE the ability to full-screen apps without making your other monitors useless. You have to choose between the two, which is frustrating.

 

[drblank]

If you don't like the new way of doing it and have some issues, let Apple know directly.

Here's the link to the OS X feedback website.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

 

[Compton]

does anyone know if in mission control, you can drag and drop windows from one screen to another aka 10.6? ML only lets you drag windows from different spaces associated with a single screen

I use a program called TotalSpaces to achieve this on 10.8. Don't know if it will work with 10.9, though.

I hope that Apple won't make it difficult for non-affiliated developers to create these kinds of add-ons to customise the operating system.

 

[tywebb13]

If you don't like the new way of doing it and have some issues, let Apple know directly.

Here's the link to the OS X feedback website.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/macosx.html

On the other hand if you DO like mavericks way of doing it, consider sending apple some POSITIVE feedback too.

This guy is in violation of the developer's agreement

How do you know he got it from apple? He might have got it from a torrent site. In which case he isn't in violation of the agreement because that means he DIDN'T sign the agreement! We can't assume he signed apple's nda just because he's running mavericks.

Anyway he obviously still has mountain lion as well so it's not the end of the world for him with his 6 monitors (a wise move on his part considering his setup).

But so far for my purposes I'm happy with mavericks. And I definitely prefer mavericks over mountain lion. The extend desktop feature is better with the airplay mirroring.

 

[olowott]

some one get this guy a 55" Monitor - Damn!!


or better still apple can you please hurry up with the TV

 

[Mike MA]

Well, he should be a happy guy with all that little nice Apple toys around his table.

 

[macs4nw]

this video - via 9to5Mac

Article Link: Video Shows Differences Between Mavericks and Mountain Lion Multiple Monitor Support

Gotta admit, while watching that video, I wasn't paying as much attention to what he was saying, as I was transfixed on that real nice set-up shown there. Replacing those Bose speakers with Mini Maggies, would complete it for me.

The new definition of "Mission Control".

They can't fix that without rethinking their new approach to fullscreen apps on multiple monitors. Think about it awhile and you'll understand.

Apple has received a lot of criticism on their multiple monitor support, but it's actually a very complex problem.

As noted by WestonHarvey1 above, to arrive at some kind of consistency, those Multiple Monitor support issues can become very labyrinthine and convoluted, and not so simple to just 'fix', without a complete re-thinking of Multiple Monitor applicability by Pro users.

One would hope they will be addressed either in the GM version of Mavericks, or in a subsequent update.

 

[wovel]

It seems to me that that’s the only problem with the new system. If full-screen apps now just “took the full screen on the existing Space” you could have the best of both worlds: full screen apps that don’t make all the other monitors pointless, but still have the ability to “context switch” all screens at once.

For me, I’ve always used Spaces with multiple monitors as a way to divide groups of applications (all “Internet” applications on this space, productivity apps on these couple spaces, music apps/overflow on this other space, etc.), so losing the ability to context-switch all screens at once is frustrating.

And the new behavior could still be addressed (in a way) by telling an app to assign itself to “All Spaces” so it always comes along for the ride when you switch contexts.

I dunno, it always seems like two steps forward, one step back with Apple’s support for multiple monitors + multiple desktops.

You can make it work exactly like ML in the preferences. (See my previous post). The problem is full screen apps still work exactly like ML. This may be fixed later in beta.

 

[rezwits]

I don't know why

Why is he complaining? To me I am shocked Mavericks lets him switch between the "OLD" way and the "NEW" way...

So, I mean he can do either one, right? What the hell?

He just can't get it 100% the way he wants it. That's the BS

You get luck in the biz if you can get something that is 100% what you want. Most of the time you have to download some extension, prefpane, or app. Not a big deal.

Laters...

 

[3282868]

This is a bit dramatic... He REALLLLLLY wants one huge image spanning across his 6 screens it seems...

I wonder how many people use more than 1 external monitor as well. I use an external display with my MBA, and occasionally Air Display with my iPad, but I really doubt there are many people using 6 displays...

As a film and photo editor, I have always used at least 2 displays. It facilitates workflow a great deal. It is especially useful when presenting projects to clients. I had two Apple 23" CCFL LCD's and a 30" that lasted me ~8 years. Now running 2 27" LED LCD's on my Mac Pro. For many pro's, display real estate is as important as rendering speed and memory.

I've yet to watch the video, but from the comments I gather he wants the OS to recognize his 6 displays as a single backdrop w/ customization for running app's per display and space. I'll bet anything there's a simple app that will spread a background across displays w/ tweaks. If not, heck, I guess there's a market .

 

[phpmaven]

Tons of people. If I can't have Adobe Premiere across both monitors I might as well throw my 2nd monitor away right now.

I'm not talking about having multiple windows from a program on multiple monitors. He was trying to stretch one application window over multiple monitors so that part of the window was on one and part on the other. Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't imagine wanting to work like that.

 

[iMikeT]

Old. Saw this video a couple days after Mavericks was announced, where have you been MacRumors?

 

[heisetax]

This is a bit dramatic... He REALLLLLLY wants one huge image spanning across his 6 screens it seems...

I wonder how many people use more than 1 external monitor as well. I use an external display with my MBA, and occasionally Air Display with my iPad, but I really doubt there are many people using 6 displays...

I regularly use 4 - 5 displays with my Mac Pros. A few times I hooked the 6th display up. I have 3 30" displays that I have lined up that I have many spreadsheets that i will span across those 3. Then I will span at the same time from my 70" display that spans into the top of the right most 30" display. Then a 28" display fits in somewhere either set up above the center &/or left 30" display or is moved into the left most position of the 3 30" displays.

When I have my customers sitting across my office table I move the left display to allow me to see & easily talk to my customers. If I have to make a choice between one large area as we have now or each display working on just one thing I & most multi-display would probably choose one area. In my opinion Apple does a lot of dumb &/or questionable things, but I think that they in this case will be smart enough to allow both one large area with multi displays & doing many of the things they showed in the last keynote show. With most of the time spent on the new iToy iOS 7 & not the Mac OS the final Mac OS 10.9 version should allow the best combination of the 2 that the time & programming will allow.

 

[needfx]

I'm not concerned about the wallpaper bit, but not spreading apps across two screens is a bit of a challenge for some workflows. I would be curious to see how apps with floating toolbars, etc... reacted. If I can at least still throw my tools, pallets, etc.. on a separate screen then I'm not quite as concerned.

exactly my thought

 

[nemesit]

It is perfectly possible to stretch windows over multiple spaces in the current Developer Preview dunno what this guy did.

 

[TjeuV]

Old. Saw this video a couple days after Mavericks was announced, where have you been MacRumors?

Macrumors hopped on after the video was featured on 9to5mac. Question is, where has 9to5mac been?

 

[vinnie603]

...

he surely hasn't as much brains as he has screens...

 

[Porshuh944turbo]

Proposed fix that I think would solve this if Apple would add it: Hold option key switches all screens. Heck, maybe it already works this way? Anyone try it? I don't have multiple screens on my Mavericks machine to try.

 

[3282868]

I'm not talking about having multiple windows from a program on multiple monitors. He was trying to stretch one application window over multiple monitors so that part of the window was on one and part on the other. Maybe I'm missing something, but I can't imagine wanting to work like that.

He wants all 6 displays to form one large display? Does he also want separate displays for a "Spaces" setup? If he just wants a larger display, buy a larger display. Six high quality IPS panels aren't cheap, money must not be an object.

Personally, I'm loving 10.9. Almost all the issues I (and many pro's) had with 10.7/8 have been addressed in the first beta. I have to admit, this is the first time in over a decade that I have seen Apple truly take feedback into account, seemed Federighi emphasized changes the general user took with 10.7/8. He and everyone did a great job!

 

[vinnie603]

It is perfectly possible to stretch windows over multiple spaces in the current Developer Preview dunno what this guy did.

no it isn't...
not here anyway

 

[3282868]

It is perfectly possible to stretch windows over multiple spaces in the current Developer Preview dunno what this guy did.

I can't. If I drag a window between two displays, the initial display shows one half while the other display "ghosts" it, once I release from dragging only one display shows a partial app/window. For example, dragging a Safari window and trying to place it between 2 27" LED LCD's, only one window shows half of the app. As you drag a window between displays, only the display that has the most space used by the app will recognize it.

I also can't resize an app/window between displays. It only recognizes the display it's in, as if the other displays aren't present.

Ok, that I do not like. Filing a bug report on this one.

 

[insider-man]

As has been said through out this thread, his expectations are exceptionally weird!

He wants his wallpaper sync'd between desktops and then he wants to drag a single window across virtual desktops. In all my years a using multiple monitor setups (as I am now) I have never felt the need to spread a single window across monitors, even in a single workspace/desktop environment. Sure I move windows on to different screens as I work on them - but this is just using the single workspace/desktop.

He seems to completely miss the point of what the virtual desktop actual does or how it intended to be used. Essential with his 6 monitors in this setup he now has 6 separate virtual desktops which can be switched between, which I have to say is an excellent idea. He can now have an application running full screen on each monitor AND desktops that he can flick between.

Basically his 6 monitor setup is totally OTT - at home on my iMac I just use the 27" screen and even though there is plenty of workspace on a 27" monitor to be running multiple apps, I use the virtual desktops all the time to isolate certain apps to certain desktops (various VMs etc). These virtual desktops extend my "limited" work space, which is absolutely pointless with 6 monitors! If I had 6 screens laid out as a single desktop, I wouldn't use the virtual desktops!

With 6 monitors laid out like that you are basically trying to make one big work space which also negates the need to use the virtual desktops.