Dual Monitor Software… Sucks
YouTube is driving more attention to my efforts than any other resource (combined):
First off, Your show is awesome, thank you for hosting it. I’m a big fan, and really love your insights on technical stuff. Now I wanted to send an actual video, but my video quality was rather bad, because of the lighting in this room, and usually when I get back from work it’s already quite dark or am too busy.
Thanks, Norbert.
So, anyway, here’s my e-mail, I wanted to address something I don’t hear you talk about a lot, though you use it intensively, as do more and more people these days: Dual monitoring. I’ve been using multiple monitors for years now, simply for the ability to see more windows at the same time. FTP, Chat, Explorer, Internet Explorer, Firefox. Now this in itself is great, however: Been having difficulty in the beginning. Windows doesn’t stretch the taskbar, or adds a second. Now using 3rd part applications you can do this. The name Ultramon should now spam the minds of people who use multiple monitors. I have been using it. And I loved it. But a little problem keeps nagging me. In windows XP + SP2, the taskbar generated by Ultramon does not look exactly how it should. The visual skin / style is applied from what Windows itself uses, but somehow the color is off. Now this is not my monitor’s setup, because I have 2 identical monitors with identical settings. And all other applications look exactly how they look on the other “side”. So I know the problem is in Ultramon. I love the product for its usability, it’s way better than anything as far as I know. BUT I’m a perfectionist on my desktop.
Welcome to the hell of being a user without the ability to program. :P
So I set out to fix this problem, “complained” to the Ultramon devs, Updated, looking for other applications, but I did not get it the way I wanted. Finally I got tired of searching and messing with my monitor setup, I hit the uninstall button on Ultramon. I know it sounds crazy, why through away a perfectly good working application, just because it’s 2 shades out of color? Well I don’t know, It just really annoyed me.
What I have now is the span-view option from Nvidia. It doesn’t have the usabilities which Ultramon has, But for once: it really looked like the taskbar was 1, not 2 parts. Also, my taskbar seems to be more responsive now.
My question after all this, is simply: Do you know any really good application for doing dual monitoring? I had gotten so used to the “right click and move to other monitor”-function in Ultramon, I’m rather missing it, and yes the maximizing windows is out for me now, because it will maximize to both monitors.
The story above is about a PC running Windows XP. Vista is running Ultramon just fine, no coloration weirdness.
I never used Nvidia’s software – as hardware manufacturers are notoriously rotten at writing desktop apps (some of them can’t even get their drivers straight). Still, it’s good to see you’ve found a workable solution – and it’s likely best that you leave well enough alone. I say this realizing that most dual monitor software SUCKS, and you’ve pretty much already used the one that is likely to be recommended by anybody.
Also I’d also like to know if there are dual monitoring applications for the Mac, Since I use that at work. The menubar on the top in OSX doesn’t work very well if you have to move your mouse over several monitors in order to get to the menu. I’m wanting to go to 3 monitors at work, but this thing about OSX keeps me from doing that.
I’d like to know that myself…! UPDATE: John Starta emailed me after reading this post and submitted DejaMenu as a solution for OS X:
Saw your blog post today (8/22) about dual monitors. At the end of the post the reader being quoted and yourself express an interest in getting the Menubar in OS X to appear on a second monitor. There is an application called DejaMenu that enables this. Rather than having a secondary menubar across the top of the second monitor however, DejaMenu enabled the menubar to appear in context when a key combination is pressed.
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19 Comments
The Chris Pirillo Show
August 23rd, 2007
at 4:48am
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Glenn Wolsey
August 22nd, 2007
at 5:52pm
I remember that video, quite a while back. I ended up with the 30″ Apple Cinema Display because I found it for a great price, however I’m also using a 17″ Dell as a 2nd screen until I can get another Apple Cinema Display.
Nice to see you bringing this up again Chris.
Glenn Wolsey
August 22nd, 2007
at 5:54pm
By the way, using dual monitors (or more) on the Mac eliminates most of these problems. Give it a go with the MacBook Pro and a Dell 30″ sometime to see how it all clicks together.
Victor Agreda Jr
August 22nd, 2007
at 6:20pm
Actually the Nvidia apps I’ve used were pretty good, although this was a while back (a TNT card!). But you’re right– all too often they can’t even write drivers for their own hardware. There’s little profit in it ;)
Victor Agreda Jr
August 22nd, 2007
at 6:22pm
Whoops, missed the last part of the request– no, we asked TUAW readers if there’s something to help the OS X menu bar issue, and never found a thing. From what I hear, no fix in Leopard either. Maybe in Tabby…
Matt Hartley
August 22nd, 2007
at 8:02pm
You wrote: “I’m wanting to go to 3 monitors at work”
Okay, here you go and it is not limited to software from my understanding. http://tinyurl.com/3xn9e5
Enjoy!
Scott
August 23rd, 2007
at 6:01am
Check out Multimon at http://www.mediachance.com/free/multimon.htm (Note: Windows only, v.2000 and XP). It’s what use at work with my Thinkpad and an external 20″ LCD. Works fine, and it’s free.
Scott
Chris Elrod
August 23rd, 2007
at 6:07am
About Ultramon! I have been usinmg this program since it’s release with up to 5 monitors. I don’t know what your setup is but I personally have never had a problem with color variations other than the difference in my monitors or video cards. Ultramon has many features that most users are not aware of without going in to the Options menu. I use it both at home and at work on 4 different computers and love the functionality of it. I have been told by many people that I am an obsessive compulsive person and way too picky. To trash a good working problem simply because of a slight color problem is crazy. The program works as it should. You need to check your settings and or hardware. I beleive this is where your problem will be found.
Kerry Liles
August 23rd, 2007
at 6:36am
An alternative to Ultramon for PC users is MultiMonitor TaskBar from
http://www.mediachance.com/free/multimon.htm
(freeware with a donate via paypal button in the about info)
Very stable for me… includes clipboard stack functionality too (not sure what that has to do with multimon except perhaps the possibility that the more monitors you have, the more likely you are doing more cutting/pasting?)
Miles
August 23rd, 2007
at 6:37am
Not exactly the product type described (single computer) but if you’ve got a second, perhaps less capable computer around, hook it up to the second monitor, install MaxVista. MaxVista spans, allows complete remote control of a second PC on the other monitor and mirroring. Span mode works great, if perhaps a little slow because pix data is sent via network. I also use it to start completely separated tasks in background (like rendering in remote mode) then switch to span mode while the task churns away, thereby roughly simulating some tasks of multi processor.
Tiago Correia
August 23rd, 2007
at 6:50am
This is softwre company has a software that might do waht you want.
http://www.vtbook.com
I’ve also found this site which is much information about dual monitor, like software and hardware.
http://www.realtimesoft.com/multimon/products.asp
Enig Ma
August 23rd, 2007
at 5:26pm
http://tom.zickel.org/splitmonitor/
Check out this program for virtually splitting large monitors into 2.
Ray
August 27th, 2007
at 3:50am
I like my triple moniter program.
I use three moniters to run one program which has 7 subprograms
running in the background on a statewide network. All you need is
well written software and the right kind of application.
Paul Creamer
August 27th, 2007
at 3:29pm
One thing that is beatufiul about being multi-monitor is that there is a ton of good graphics for desktop wallpapper…
http://www.digitalblaspehemy.com
multi monitor software - Dogpile Web Search
August 6th, 2008
at 10:12pm
[...] by: http://www.multi-monitors.com • Found on Ads by Yahoo!, Windows Live, Yahoo! Search Dual Monitor Software Sucks ~ Chris Pirillo Aug 22, 2007 … I say this realizing that most dual monitor software SUCKS, and youve pretty [...]
Multiple Monitors
August 31st, 2008
at 12:24am
Ultramon is pretty good.
James
September 12th, 2008
at 7:14am
I found screen doc from cnet.com and its made using dual monitors much more productive for me.
Dual Screens
February 2nd, 2009
at 3:16am
NVidia and ATI already come with software that will extend your taskbar etc. All the other stuff might give you driver conflicts etc. Dual monitors (or more) are essential for bloggers and businesses these days. I’m using Six on my Computer! I wish I could post a picture.
Prince
May 14th, 2009
at 5:11am
Hi,
I have developed a Dual-Monitor-Software with exciting features.Contact me for source code with price details.Have needful functions…..I mean Dual-Monitor-Player for vcd,dvd etc…