Windows needs an option to switch active monitors.

Metspitzer wrote:

> Windows needs an option to switch active monitors. I use my TV for a
> second monitor. When I am watching TV sometimes something is opened
> to the second screen. It would be nice to just be able to make my
> current monitor display what is on the second monitor.

Seems what you really want is a means of quickly disabling your 2-screen
support in the video software. Then what might've opened in your 2nd
monitor (the TV where you're watching a movie) will instead have to open
in the only then existing 1st monitor.

It is likely that the software you installed for your video card already
has a means of disabling the monitors it detects. You would have to
find out how to call up its config screen to disable the 2nd (TV)
monitor. It might also provide a tray icon to let you do that more
easily and quicker. I have an ATI video card and its Catalyst software
lets me display a tray icon (that I normally disable) where I can easily
select the 2nd monitor and disable it.

If you don't like how your video card's software lets you disable your
monitors or it doesn't have a disable feature or it's a nuisance to get
at, you could search for 3rd party utilities that let you disable
monitors.

http://www.google.com/search?q=monit...Bfree+software

found, for example:

http://www.murgee.com/MurGeeMon/

It even mentions creating a shortcut to quickly switch between single
and dual monitor modes. I'm sure there are lots of other similar
utilities.

choro wrote:


> Ken Blake wrote:
>
>> choro wrote:
>>
>>> Metspitzer wrote:
>>>
>>>> Windows needs an option to switch active monitors. I use my TV for
>>>> a second monitor. When I am watching TV sometimes something is
>>>> opened to the second screen. It would be nice to just be able to
>>>> make my current monitor display what is on the second monitor.
>>>
>>> Why don't you just get a big monitor and display both on the same
>>> monitor -- one on the LHS and the other on the RHS.I can do this on
>>> my 24 inch 1920x1050 res monitor. Nothing will stop you getting an
>>> even bigger monitor. To be honest with you, I'd rather not have 2
>>> screens and turn into a lizard!
>>
>> I have two monitors, both 23", primarily because I want to have
>> several Windows open at the same time. They are right next to each
>> other, and I have no problem changing my gaze from one to the other;
>> I need to turn my head only a few degrees.
>>
>> Ideally, I'd like to have *four* monitors, with the other two being
>> above these two. The only reason I don't do that is the cost of
>> doing so.
>
> That's overdoing it a bit, isn't it? Why don't you have one on the
> ceiling so you can watch porno while lying down? ;-)

But, in your case, that would block the mirror you have on the ceiling.
(yuck yuck yuck)

The problem with getting ever bigger monitors so you can show multiple
but separate [virtual] desktops within them is that you putting all your
eggs in one basket. If the monitor fails, you lose ALL your desktop.
If you have multiple monitors, you can still see the other desktops when
one of them fails. Having multiple monitors is like having multiple
hard disks in a RAID-3/5 config so you have immediate hardware recovery
instead of being completely down awaiting hardware replacement. For
those that can afford it (yes, I realize that might not include you and
it doesn't include me), hardware redundancy is important to them and
they can pay for it.

If I had the space (or could make room) and if I had the money, yeah,
I'd get another monitor so I could code and compile in one monitor while
browsing or checking results in a different monitor - and I'd still
probably make use of multiple virtual desktops within one monitor to
separate different tasks. However, virtual desktops within one monitor
become a pain after more than a few of them hence why folks like to use
multiple monitors along with the added feature of concurrent viewing
instead of having to switch between desktops.

Besides, based on your logic of getting ever larger monitors, the
"lizard" eye coordination you mention will still be present in one huge
monitor.

-- choro --

On 11/06/2011 23:17, VanguardLH wrote:
> choro wrote:
>
>
>> Ken Blake wrote:
>>
>>> choro wrote:
>>>
>>>> Metspitzer wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Windows needs an option to switch active monitors. I use my TV for
>>>>> a second monitor. When I am watching TV sometimes something is
>>>>> opened to the second screen. It would be nice to just be able to
>>>>> make my current monitor display what is on the second monitor.
>>>>
>>>> Why don't you just get a big monitor and display both on the same
>>>> monitor -- one on the LHS and the other on the RHS.I can do this on
>>>> my 24 inch 1920x1050 res monitor. Nothing will stop you getting an
>>>> even bigger monitor. To be honest with you, I'd rather not have 2
>>>> screens and turn into a lizard!
>>>
>>> I have two monitors, both 23", primarily because I want to have
>>> several Windows open at the same time. They are right next to each
>>> other, and I have no problem changing my gaze from one to the other;
>>> I need to turn my head only a few degrees.
>>>
>>> Ideally, I'd like to have *four* monitors, with the other two being
>>> above these two. The only reason I don't do that is the cost of
>>> doing so.
>>
>> That's overdoing it a bit, isn't it? Why don't you have one on the
>> ceiling so you can watch porno while lying down? ;-)
>
> But, in your case, that would block the mirror you have on the ceiling.
> (yuck yuck yuck)

You know what? You have a point there. This never occurred to me! :-(
>
> The problem with getting ever bigger monitors so you can show multiple
> but separate [virtual] desktops within them is that you putting all your
> eggs in one basket. If the monitor fails, you lose ALL your desktop.
> If you have multiple monitors, you can still see the other desktops when
> one of them fails. Having multiple monitors is like having multiple
> hard disks in a RAID-3/5 config so you have immediate hardware recovery
> instead of being completely down awaiting hardware replacement. For
> those that can afford it (yes, I realize that might not include you and
> it doesn't include me), hardware redundancy is important to them and
> they can pay for it.

Just keep your old monitor as a spare when you update to a larger,
higher definition one. That's what I have done. And let's face it,
monitors do not go kaput like filament light bulbs. In 15 years of
computing, I have had only one monitor suddenly giving up the ghost.
>
> If I had the space (or could make room) and if I had the money, yeah,
> I'd get another monitor so I could code and compile in one monitor while
> browsing or checking results in a different monitor - and I'd still
> probably make use of multiple virtual desktops within one monitor to
> separate different tasks. However, virtual desktops within one monitor
> become a pain after more than a few of them hence why folks like to use
> multiple monitors along with the added feature of concurrent viewing
> instead of having to switch between desktops.
>
> Besides, based on your logic of getting ever larger monitors, the
> "lizard" eye coordination you mention will still be present in one huge
> monitor.

Everything within reason, sir, everything within reason.

On Sat, 11 Jun 2011 17:02:20 -0500, VanguardLH <> wrote:

>Metspitzer wrote:
>
>> Windows needs an option to switch active monitors. I use my TV for a
>> second monitor. When I am watching TV sometimes something is opened
>> to the second screen. It would be nice to just be able to make my
>> current monitor display what is on the second monitor.
>
>Seems what you really want is a means of quickly disabling your 2-screen
>support in the video software. Then what might've opened in your 2nd
>monitor (the TV where you're watching a movie) will instead have to open
>in the only then existing 1st monitor.
>
>It is likely that the software you installed for your video card already
>has a means of disabling the monitors it detects. You would have to
>find out how to call up its config screen to disable the 2nd (TV)
>monitor. It might also provide a tray icon to let you do that more
>easily and quicker. I have an ATI video card and its Catalyst software
>lets me display a tray icon (that I normally disable) where I can easily
>select the 2nd monitor and disable it.
>
>If you don't like how your video card's software lets you disable your
>monitors or it doesn't have a disable feature or it's a nuisance to get
>at, you could search for 3rd party utilities that let you disable
>monitors.
>
Or I could just put in a request for Microsoft to do it my way.
Windows 7 was my idea.

Just kidding with you. Those are useful suggestions.
Thanks

>http://www.google.com/search?q=monit...Bfree+software
>
>found, for example:
>
>http://www.murgee.com/MurGeeMon/
>
>It even mentions creating a shortcut to quickly switch between single
>and dual monitor modes. I'm sure there are lots of other similar
>utilities.

choro wrote:

> Just keep your old monitor as a spare when you update to a larger,
> higher definition one. That's what I have done. And let's face it,
> monitors do not go kaput like filament light bulbs. In 15 years of
> computing, I have had only one monitor suddenly giving up the ghost.

I've had several where their backlight lamp fried after 3 years. I
looked into disassembling the LCD panel and replacing the lamps but,
one, the cost of the lamps would be half or more the price of a new
same-size LCD monitor (since prices drop over time for the same monitor)
and, two, it was just barely inside my level of expertise (so I wouldn't
do it unless I had another usable monitor and could experiment on the
bad one). If you look at the warranties for LCD monitors, they are set
to expire about 1 year before the MTBF for the lamps they use.

Typically I don't get rid of old LCD monitors if they're still working.
They stay with the old host since typically I get a new LCD monitor at
the time I buy/build a new host. I suppose I could chain some KVMs
together but then the entire setup with multiple hosts trying to share
multiple monitors over KVMs (that had to support multi-monitor support
from each host) would get too confusing.

>> Besides, based on your logic of getting ever larger monitors, the
>> "lizard" eye coordination you mention will still be present in one huge
>> monitor.
>
> Everything within reason, sir, everything within reason.

I'm still waiting for that LCD paint you can slap onto a wall and hookup
as a wall-sized monitor. Alas, that side of your room will have to be
devoid of furniture so you can view all of the wall monitor.