Extended desktop mode

Can anyone with a new imac and a second monitor verify that the new imac supports extended desktop mode? (I know it's supposed to work, but I'd just like to hear it from someone firsthand).
First reports of this feature was like the cherry on top! I'm hooked on extended desktop mode and it was my one regret in deciding to buy a new imac: now no regrets and no excuses: gotta order one!

I'm sure apple lied about it....
Glor
Didn't "think they lied", but it was only briefly referred to on the Apple website and I had first heard about it from a Mac rumor site, so I wanted to verify it. Sorry, but I just wanted to hear it from someone who actually was using it, since the new imacs are starting to arrive. It's a feature that means a lot to me and I'm very excited about it being included.
In the debate about "should I get the G5 imac or the intel imac?", this feature alone would be a clincher for me.

Similar Messages

Tablet PC calibration error in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator CS3 whilst in Extended Desktop Mode

Hey everyone!
I've run into a snag which hasn't bugged me before because I never used a second monitor, but now that I do, Photoshop and Illustrator don't function properly.
I am running my Adobe products on my Lenovo X61 Thinkpad Tablet, which is Wacom PenEnabled. It's got the basic digitizer pen and pen pressure features, no stylus tilt or anything.
Whenever I run Photoshop or Illustrator in Extended Desktop Mode so I can have a different window open on my external monitor and the Adobe app on my tablet screen, my stylus goes strange. It seems to think that the extended desktop is part of the Adobe window, so when I move my stylus to draw, the cursor will appear on the external monitor, usually proportionate to the size of the screen...ie. It interprets the external and tablet screens as one desktop and the top left corner of my tablet screen is the top left of my external, whilst the bottom right on tablet IS the bottom right on tablet, if that makes any sense...sorry.
So I can't draw anything in photosho unless I set it back to standard desktop mode, or mirrored desktop. I've searched over the net and these forums and I can't find a fix for this. I was walking in harvey norman the other day and the Wacom Cintiq 12" was there on display, and it had the same issue with extended desktop and photoshop.
Has anyone had this issue before and/or does anyone know of a fix for it? I'll keep searching around and playing with the computer until I fix it and I'll post any solutions I find here if noone else has one.
My system details are:
Abobe Photoshop CS3 10.0.0
Adobe Illustrator CS3 13.0.0
OS: Windows Vista Build 6001, Service Pack 1, 32bit
RAM: 2GB
HD: 18.2GB free Disk Space (out of 66.3GB on the Active Partition)
Video: Intel GMA: Mobile Intel(R) 965 Express Chipset Family

I'm using an HP tx2011au tablet pc, using adobe flash cs3 and have the exact same problem. it becomes decalibrated only while the flash window is open, and only while flash has a file open, and only when using an extended desktop. even if flash is open and it has no files open it works fine.

Using extended desktop mode with ThinkPad x220

I have an Acer AL2216W external monitor. It has a resolution of 1680 x 1050
http://support.acer.com/acerpanam/monitor/0000/Acer/AL2216W/AL2216Wsp2.shtml
When I use extended desktop mode with the external monitor set as the primary display, everything scales properly on both the external and internal monitor.
However, if I set the internal monitor as the primary display, the external display does not fill the screen (there is a big black border around the desktop).
In both cases, the resolution setting for the external monitor is 1680 x 1050.
Is this normal behaviour?
Solved!
Go to Solution.

Hello,
That's how Windows behaves. Supposedly Realtime Soft Ltd.'s UltraMon gives you more precise control over wallpaper under Windows, but I have not used it myself.
Regards,
Aryeh Goretsky
I am a volunteer and neither a Lenovo nor a Microsoft employee. • Dexter is a good dog • Dexter je dobrý pes
S230u (3347-4HU) • X220 (4286-CTO) • W510 (4318-CTO) • W530 (2441-4R3) • X100e (3508-CTO) • X120e (0596-CTO) • T61p (6459-CTO) • T43p (2678-H7U) • T42 (2378-R4U) • T23 (2648-LU7)
Deutsche Community Comunidad en Español Русскоязычное Сообщество

Screensaver eMac monitor while in extended desktop mode?

Officially, eMacs can mirror to an external display but cannot do extended desktop. Since my 2005 eMac's built-in monitor is only functioning correctly at low resolutions (see http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2013835), I'm using a program called Screen Spanning Doctor to run it in extended desktop mode. My eMac is running Mac OS 10.4.11.
*I'm searching for a way to run a screensaver and/or turn off the eMac's built-in monitor while I continue to use my external monitor.* Is that possible? I've configured my external monitor to function as the primary display while the eMac's built-in monitor is the extended display.
Thanks!

Hi all,
I've found a solution to my problem!
I'd forgotten that Mac OS X allows each monitor in an extended desktop configuration to have its own desktop picture. I copied all desktop pictures to a new folder, used the procedure described at http://www.macworld.com/article/51937/2006/07/savedesk.html to copy all Apple screensaver photos to that new folder, and then configured System Preferences => Desktop & Screen Saver => Desktop to use that new folder and change the picture every five seconds. EDIT: I selected "Random order" too.
This won't be too distracting since I'm using an external monitor as my primary display. Also, this solution should require only a tiny percentage of my computer's resources. Thanks again to all of you for your great ideas!
Message was edited by: gobbles414 (original)

24" iMac and 20" Cinema display extended desktop mode ?

I got a 24" iMac and a 20" Cinema display. I wanted to know if they will work on extended desktop mode? I didnt try to hook it up yet as I am waiting for mini dvi to dvi adapter to come.
Thanks

Hi,
according to this http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Hardware/Conceptual/HWTechVideo/index.html#//appleref/doc/uid/TP40003504
you should have no problems (you must scroll a bit down the iMac 24" section)
Have Fun
Stefan

Extended desktop mode with external display

I use my Macbook with an external display. Sometimes I need to use extended desktop mode and sometimes I don't need the extra desktop space and prefer to work only with my external display. My needs change as I work throughout the day and I'm getting tired of having to close the Macbook to put it to sleep and then wake it up without opening the lid to just have one display (the external one).
I'm wondering if anyone knows if there's a way to put the Macbook built-in display to sleep while continuing to work with the external display, without having to put the Macbook to sleep first. I'm thinking that there's got to be a way to do this (maybe there's a piece of software out there or some other work around?).

Thanks for your suggestion. That's actually a workaround I've used. The only problem is, the display isn't really put to sleep. The result: I still get an extended desktop and occasionally I "lose" my pointer. A bit annoying, but thus far the only solution I've come up with.

Getting a video card that supports extended desktop mode: AGP? PCI?

Hi guys and gals (and everything in between),
One of the reasons I got a Power Mac not so long ago was the convenience of using two or more displays at once, but then I discovered that the stock ATI Rage 128 in my Gigabit 450 (dual) does not support two displays. (I discovered it the hard way, when I connected a recently acquired Studio display to it, and my trusty CRT stopped getting a signal.)
I won't be using the computer for games, design or anything graphics intensive, mostly word processing (I'm a translator/editor/writer by trade), so I do not need the high end of the video card spectrum --just an AGP card that could allow me to work on extended desktop mode, preferably with an ADC connector. Would a Radeon 7500 suffice?
Or maybe a PCI card? I have read a lot in this forums against getting a PCI card, because of the 33 Mhz bottleneck, but wouldn't it work well enough for checking email and working on 2 or 3 documents at once?
Any help with this will be greatly appreciated!
Peace.
eMac, iMac, iBook, Power Mac Gigabit (running Tiger & 9.2.2) Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Thanks, PB PM.
I also did a little research in the forums and elsewhere (by the way, your posts have been really helpful to me, very knowledgeable and well-documented), and ended up buying a Radeon 7000 PCI for hooking up my VGA monitor, as a cheap solution to my problem.
Thanks again!
eMac, iMac, iBook, Power Mac Gigabit (running Tiger & 9.2.2) Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Extended Desktop Mode on iMac G5

New iMac user here,
Just picked up a G5 iMac w/ 2.1 GHz. Video card is Radeon X600 XT.
Wanted to know if this will run 2 displays in extended desktop mode.
Everymac.com says that video card will, with some other firmware.
Has anyone tried this? What steps need to be done? Success rate?
thanks for any helpful hints.

It's been a month since you posted this question, so I hope you get this reply. The answer is yes! I have been using extended desktop on my iMac G5 for a while now with no problems. Do a Google search for "screen spanning doctor." Double check the supported systems, but I think yours is on the list.

Extended Desktop Mode on iBook G4

I am trying to configure my iBook G4 to use extended desktop mode with a Dell M780 monitor. I currently have the Dell monitor mirroring the iBook display, but would like to have it in extended desktop mode.
OS X Help Viewer tells me to go to System Prefs > Displays > Arrangement, but when I go to the Displays section there are only two tabs: "Display" and "Color", and there are no other buttons, menus or anything related to arrangement.
My graphics card, which perhaps has something to do with this, is an ATI Mobility Radeon 9200. There are 32 MB total of VRAM. Core Image is not supported on either the iBook display or the Dell display.
iBook G4 (Model Name PowerBook6,5 Mac OS X (10.4.7) 1.07 GHz, 768MB Memory

Hi Mathew,
Welcome to the forum.
The iBooks do not support extended desktop. Should you wish to have this feature, you can with a third party solution. More details here:
http://www.rutemoeller.com/mp/ibook/ibook_e.html
Be aware, if your iBook is under warranty or you have AppleCare, this could be void if there is any damage caused as a direct result of applying the above. That said, a lot of people have done this without any issues. Infact I have yet to come across anyone who has had issues.
RD

Does FrontRow works in extended desktop mode on the new Imac ?

I want it on TV when i work on the Imac

Probably not going to work. In order to have front row to play on your tv you have to set the tv as the controlling monitor (menu on the tv). Once you activate front row you can no longer access the menu so any application that requires you to access the menu bar is going to be difficult to use unless you memorize all of the keyboard short cuts.
glor

Presentation plays in mirror mode but not extended desktop

My presentation plays in mirror mode flawlessly.
But when played in extended desktop has only one life. After 'escaping' out of a playing slideshow, I am then unable to play the slideshow again in extended desktop and must either quit out of Keynote or switch to mirror mode.
My computer is connected with a Sanyo PLC-XU74 data projector at our church. The problem also exists when I test it connected to my Panasonic LCD TV at home.
The problem is not specific to any particular file.
My older version of Keynote 3.0.0 works without this issue on both secondary displays (church & home) but will not play the file created in Keynote 09 (error message 'Keynote cannot open the file .... because it is damaged.')
My wife's MacBook plays the same files without issue in extended desktop mode on the same secondary displays.
Files created in her identical version of Keynote 09 (5.0.1) misbehave when I attempt to play them on my MacBook Pro - just a slightly different error message ... ('Keynote cannot play your slideshow because an error occurred.' )
Again the file will play initially, but when I exit out of the playing presentation there is no way to resurrect it without quitting and restarting the application.
My head is spinning ... should I reinstall iWork 09?

Kyn (et al)
Thanks for your input. Problem solved with software update to Keynote 5.0.3!!
Seems that the original iteration of Keynote 09 did not like the hardware in my fancy new MacBook Pro. Whereas it was quite content with my wife's older MacBook. It would appear this bug is fixed ...
(Should have done this first - downloaded software update ... that's what you get for being stingy, or living in a remote part of Australia with a dribble of an excuse for broadband internet via satellite!!)
Cheers to everyone who poked their head in ...

Silly Question regarding extended desktop

I have just ordered a new 24" iMac however, the tech specs for the UK note:
+Support for external display in video mirroring mode+
Where as the US tech specs note:
+Support for extended desktop and video mirroring modes+
Which is correct? Does anyone from the UK have their aluminum iMac running in extended desktop mode?
I am upgrading from a white 20" and I have a second monitor as an extended display. I just want to make sure I do not lose this functionality.

All Intel iMac's will do extended desktop mode (by default) when you connect a second display. The next bullet says
"Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display, and up to a 30-inch display (2560 by 1600 pixels) on an external display"
so that basically says it will extend the desktop, since it would not support "full native resolution" up to 2560x1600, if it was simply mirroring the built-in 1920x1200 display.
The new iMacs have a Mini DisplayPort (instead of a mini-DVI port), so you will need a new adapter.

Extended desktop iMac to iMac

Hello, I have two 20inch Intel iMacs at work and I'd like to use one as my main machine and use one in extended desktop mode. Is it possible to just use the screen of the other iMac? If so, how would I go about hooking it up?
Thank you,
-Kevin

Kevin,
Patrick Stein, the developer of ScreenRecycler, regularly(ish) contributes here in Apple Discussions. Here is his profile:
http://discussions.apple.com/profile.jspa?userID=302226
If you click on the website link in his profile, look down to the left, there is a "Who am I' box. Within that box there is a link which, when clicked, fires up your email client with his email address in the To: field.
Give him a shout. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to suggest various ways to get the software working for you at it's optimum speed and be able to offer suggestions with regards to the resolution issue you are having.
Seems like a stand-up geeza and a pretty cool dude
Kryten

Always mirrors (won't start with extended desktop)

Since upgrading to leopard, I have the following problem: Whenever I plug my MacBook into a particular external monitor (a projector with 800 X 600 resolution), it automatically goes into mirroring mode - even if I last used it in extended desktop mode. I can then turn off mirroring, but all my windows have shrunk (to fit 800 x 600) and have moved. I leave mirroring off when I unplug - but then the next time I plug in, the same thing happens. I want it to start in extended desktop mode, and not automatically enter into mirroring mode. Any ideas?

10.9.3 and 10.9.4 have known issues with displays attached via Thunderbolt (for example see here Second display problem with 10.9.4 and 10.9.4 - Thunderbolt display for 6630M (Mini mid-2011) still broken ).
You can try filing a bug with Apple at https://bugreport.apple.com/

Zoom and extended desktop

I can't be the first person to notice this, but all my searching hasn't turned anything up...
Evidently, when one uses the Universal Access 'zoom' function with a computer with multiple monitors set to extended desktop mode, it doesn't work. The zoom centers on the point at the middle of the extended desktop, and evidently, the software thinks the desktop is only as big as one of the monitors, because you can't move the pointers to the top or bottom of the entire extended desktop.
This is on a 1.67 GHz PB running Mac OS X 10.4.7, with a 19" LCD attached in extended-desktop mode. The 19" has the menu bar.
Any help much appreciated,
Vic
1.67 GHz Powerbook Mac OS X (10.4.7)

I use the "zoom" feature as well. I would LOVE to be able to use the feature on my display while giving a presentation in "normal" view without the zoom feature turned on. To date, I have not found a way to make this happen. Any tips?

Extended desktop mode

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for