[IxDA Discuss] What's the best Computer for Designers?

[Nasir Barday]

I don't know about OS X, but Windows was never truly updated to be a mobile
OS. My biggest beef is with switching between display profiles (at desk
driving two external LCDs, standalone in a meeting, mirroring to a large
screen, presenting with secondary presenter's display). If I go standalone
without undocking properly, the windows on my secondary display don't come
to the primary screen.

On the other hand, I have a few issues with the Macbook's hardware:
- Where is the dock? Seems like moving from my desk's keyboard/mouse/dual
lcd setup would be pain
- Can a Macbook drive two external LCDs simultaneously?

- Nasir


On 9/4/07, James Melzer <jamesmelzer at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> To be fair, the Windows ecosystem isn't dual-monitor nirvana either.
>
> MS Office applications routinely throw newly opened toolbars and
> dialog boxes into the primary monitor's view despite the location of
> their corresponding application elsewhere. And Windows arbitrarily
> scatters my desktop icons whenever I add a new one and then undock.
>
> I use a PC at work because I have to, and I curse it nearly every day.
> I use a Mac at home because I enjoy it.
>
> ~ James
>
> ==  James Melzer  =======
> http://www.jamesmelzer.com
> http://del.icio.us/jamesmelzer
> == Sent on my iPhone ====
>
> On Sep 4, 2007, at 10:51 AM, "David Malouf" <dave at ixda.org> wrote:
>
> > Hi Todd,
> >
> > Unfortunately, its been a long while since I've been on my MacBook,
> > but I have remember having a lot of expectations about how
> > dual-monitor should and could work and they didn't happen. I think in
> > my "Shift" article on Ok-Cancel I outlined some issues.
> >
> > The ones I'm scraping my cranium to remember include:
> > 1. Menus are always in the main monitor and not associated with the
> > application canvas I'm actually working in.
> > 2. Often I would have palettes in the 2ndary window, but when values
> > had to be set their dropdowns (or other reveal widgets) would appear
> > in the primary window. (This had a positive effect of me relying on
> > keyboard commands more.)
> > 3. Moving from dual to single monitor mode often left some application
> > windows stuck out of the monitor view never to be grabable or viewable
> > again.
> >
> > In the end though I felt that less Mac applications (so this isn't
> > about the OS but about the eco-system of the OS) didn't consider
> > dual-monitor support at all in their design.
> >
> > I think there was an issue with maximizing of windows in the 2nd
> > window not working many times.
> >
> > Now that being said there are a ton of issues (some similar some
> > different) with dual monitor support in Windows.
> >
> > That said, PPT and Keynote on the Mac take much better advantage of
> > dual monitors than any equivalent Windows version of those
> > applications.
> >
> > -- dave
> >
> >
> > On 9/4/07, Todd Zaki Warfel <lists at toddwarfel.com> wrote:
> >> Hey Dave, can you give some more detail on this? I've been using dual
> >> monitors on a Mac for a number of years wi/o too many problems.
> >> Admittedly,
> >> there's that rare occasion where it goes into mirror mode when
> >> hooking up to
> >> a foreign display (typically an old projector that doesn't support
> >> 1024 or
> >> higher). So, I can't say it's flawless, but it works far better for
> >> me than
> >> the Windows users I've seen hook into other monitors and projects
> >> as it
> >> automatically detects the 2nd screen and adjusts accordingly.
> >>
> >> Mac OS sees the 2nd monitor as an extension of the desktop. How
> >> does this
> >> differ from your expectation, desire, or need?
> >>
> >>
> >> On Aug 30, 2007, at 8:27 PM, David Malouf wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> One reason to use Windows is that Windows (believe it or not) is FAR
> >> superior for multi-monitor support. I LOATHE mac support (or lack
> >> there of)
> >> for multiple monitors. The OS just doesn't really consider the 2nd
> >> monitor
> >> as anything as the video output screen or the tools palette's area.
> >> Stationary menu at the top is not a model that works in multiple or
> >> even
> >> high resolution monitors ... Just ask Fitz!
> >>
> >>
> >> Cheers!
> >>
> >> Todd Zaki Warfel
> >> President, Design Researcher
> >> Messagefirst | Designing Information. Beautifully.
> >> ----------------------------------
> >> Contact Info
> >> Voice: (215) 825-7423
> >> Email: todd at messagefirst.com
> >> AIM: twarfel at mac.com
> >> Blog: http://toddwarfel.com
> >> ----------------------------------
> >> In theory, theory and practice are the same.
> >> In practice, they are not.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> > --
> > David Malouf
> > http://synapticburn.com/
> > http://ixda.org/
> > http://motorola.com/
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