[IxDA Discuss] Need a pattern - Window models for multiplescreens???

[Dave Cronin]

Hey Carl,

Apple (formerly emagic) Logic has a very useful windowing idiom they
refer to as "screensets."

This gives the basic idea: 

http://www.apple.com/logicexpress/quicktour/screensets.html

It works quite well across several monitors, but the down side is that
it does require user configuration to get right. (But as you'll see,
it's pretty darn easy to configure.)

We're actually using some similar idioms on a financial analysis
platform that runs on between 1 and 4 monitors.

-dave


> -----Original Message-----
> From: discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com 
> [mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.interactiondesigners.com] On 
> Behalf Of carl myhill
> Sent: Monday, March 19, 2007 11:15 AM
> To: discuss at ixda.org
> Subject: [IxDA Discuss] Need a pattern - Window models for 
> multiplescreens???
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> I'm working on something where our typical users are 
> evolving. They seem to be getting 2 screens and even saying 
> that they'd really like 3 screens.
> Screens are so cheap that I think that too may be a reality 
> by the time we release the product .
> 
> So, I need some ideas for window models that work well across 
> multiple screens, and yet still work on systems with just one screen.
> 
> I like the idea of tear-off panes but there are some issues 
> with those. For example, in a CAD-like application, would you 
> really want the tools on one pane on screen A, and the thing 
> you are working on shown on screen B?
> Perhaps that would be ok. I think mainly that our users value 
> flexibility and being in control (don't they all!).
> 
> So, has anyone seen any funky modern Window models that work 
> well on multiple screens? PowerPoint springs to mind as 
> something that you can use on one screen but which works 
> pretty nicely on 2 screens too. I guess Outlook does too. Any 
> other ideas?
> 
> Huge thanks
> 
> Carl
> 
> PS I'm getting a new laptop this week. I used my own dollars 
> to buy it so it means I can get to see Vista and Office 2007 
> for the first time. Perhaps I'll find some ideas there.