Maximize Multiple Monitors

Question

I write software for users with multiple monitors, and I make design ideas based on the assumption that usually users will maximize the windows for each monitor, rather than manually defining them.

I recently noticed that there seem to be two “schools” in terms of using multiple monitors. There is a “maximization” of the school, and then there is a “size by hand” school, which almost never increases.

Just curious, from among users with multiple monitors reading this, how many people are maximized compared to the size manually? I would be interested to know which platform you are running on (Mac vs Windows vs * nix).

Edit: I think this is a legitimate survey in terms of design.

Answer 1

I basically maximize everything, and since then I started using Windows in 3.11 days. In fact, it was not about a year ago when I upgraded to 1600x1200 dual-disc LCDs, and I finally felt that I did not need to maximize each window and would have more than one window at a time. Typically, I have my IDE program maximized on one display, and a web browser or some kind of document or documentation is maximized from another.

In fact, I have “maximize” and “minimize” additional buttons on my mouse, only front and rear scroll wheels, and “ctrl-tab” and “alt-tab” are attached to the buttons with my thumb. This is an amazing performance boost.

Answer 2

I stretch my IDE on two monitors, filling them as best as possible. Then I split the window into two panels, so I have Test Test on the one hand, and the class I'm testing on the other. There is much less click / keyboard / memory than when I had to browse through one class or another.

It would be easier to maximize one IDE window for each monitor, but my IDE does not roll like that, so I need to imitate them, so maybe I was placed on half of one and half of the other ..

Answer 3

Expand (Windows)

I see people all the time, manually resizing, grabbing one side, then the other, then ... I honestly don’t understand why people do this.

Answer 4

So do I. Instead, I use the window manager, which actually manages the windows for me, removing the pain from the position and location of the window. This does not apply to multiple monitors, but it can affect.

wmii is my preferred WM, but there are some really nice elements for tiles and tags / views like stumpwm and xmonad. Everyone has support for multiple monitors.

The standard window management metadata set (OS X, Gnome, KDE, etc.) really breaks down when you have several windows that you want to see at the same time. And for something interesting is done with a computer that is not a game, which is almost all the time.

Even if custom WM works like this, I would not assume that it maximizes your application on the screen at all.

Answer 5

It depends on the application. My 2 monitors are my laptop LCD and a 20-inch wide screen, so they don't align exactly and won't maximize on both screens. If I program, I have an IDE on a wide screen and maximizes there to get the most encoding real estate. But since I prefer the wide screen, I often drag and drop applications to and from the LCD, and it's easier if they are not maximized. (My platform is Windows)

Answer 6

I manually size in Windows, so I can see more windows.

Answer 7

I am maximizing. But it depends on how the system responds.

I once had a setting that maximized for both monitors, it was too much. But I did it.

Answer 8

I almost always maximize on monitors that are 19 "or less. Moreover, I usually size manually.

When it comes to maximizing multiple monitors, I use ultramon. A fantastic little application, even provides additional taskbars for additional monitors.

Answer 9

I shared the difference. Some monitors will contain maximum elements, such as editor windows, while others contain potpourri with manual sizes.

Answer 10

Maximization is the fastest way. I noticed that the presence of a large number of changed windows does not work if you perform several tasks at once, and you often have to open and close windows. It is just a mess, and maximization makes it clearer.

Answer 11

I maximize my windows and linux machines and size manually on my mac.

Answer 12

I use two monitors on Linux, with multiple desktops on each, and I maximize everything. I also use the window manager, but moreover, it really maximizes everything: tiling does not work the way I want, so I basically ignore it.

Answer 13

I never enlarge my windows, with the exception of video games. I can maximize the IDE on one screen on a temporary basis.

Answer 14

To maximize IDE, Photoshop, Illustrator and Outlook, the rest is pretty much over.

Running Windows Vista on a single 24-inch monitor (1920x1200).

On smaller screens, I maximize almost everything.

Answer 15

As a web developer, when I was lucky to have two monitors, I will always work with two maxed applications in typical pairs (IDE / Browser, IDE / Profiler, IDE / SQL, Browser / Photoshop, etc., etc. ) - always anyway in pairs.

Answer 16

I have a dual-monitor setup (@ 1680x1050) and on my “programming” monitor, which stores my terminal, editor and documents, I always maximize everything.

On my other monitor, which includes my browser, IM client and music player, I process everything to simultaneously have all these applications on the screen.

Answer 17

I rarely enlarge windows - in fact, I hate maximized windows, and I hate it even more if applications require me to maximize them. In some cases, it makes no sense to maximize the window for me: who needs text in the browser wider than typical 1024 pixels? And, as a rule, websites are designed for maximum width, so why waste space on a screen where I could show something else? Even if this is a terminal window with an IRC client that works and is overlapped by a foreground window, it provides additional information. There are only a few cases where it makes sense to always maximize the application window.

In addition, switching between the editor and the terminal is more enjoyable if I can see the terminal window all the time. Maximizing everything for me is simply unnatural - you also do not maximize your documents on the table (well, you also physically cannot, but ...)

This applies to the settings of one and several monitors for me.

Answer 18

• Windows: Maximize
• Linux without Xmonad: manually
• Linux with XMonad: by xmonad

Answer 19

I rarely maximize, I want windows to change and change until they were in the last editing session. This should be recorded for each file (not one record of the last application editing session).

In my applications, I create a settings file in which I record the window position, size and (depending on the application), position in the file or the last input field / control or other information to restore the editing context.

This should be written separately for each user (the position should not be written to the file, because if the file is used by another user or edited in a different context, the other user can move the window to an undesirable position), so for Windows I put this in the local folder user settings (DO NOT put it in the registry), for UNIX I put this in the ~ home / .app directory. I usually have one file for each application (so that the application can easily find its position settings) with one entry for each file (or editing session). I would definitely not use XML for this (I will use plain formatted text or a binary file).

The user should be able to easily clear / reset all and / or the least recently available window positions in the window (for example, in the menu of tools / parameters / application settings). Also, do not forget to handle the case when the window is off-screen (for example, the desktop is changed or is on a disabled monitor), you may need to move the window back to the desktop.

Answer 20

I am using Linux.

I maximize, but more often use the muximize plugin, which detects the edges of other windows on the same desktop and resizes them to fit the open space of the desktop.

For example, if you have a small IM window in the upper right corner and a muximize window that is in the lower half of the screen, it will expand horizontally for the full width of the screen, and then vertically up the edge of the chat window.