Full Screen Fixed in Mountain Lion?

[mindlessmissy]

Can you please verify that Movist uses the Fullscreen feature introduced by Lion/Mountain Lion? VLC for example works fine across multiple screens but that's because it doesn't use the Fullscreen feature, it just uses old-style fullscreen windows.

OK ... strike all that...

After further checking it looks like NOTHING changed ...

Sorry for the false info ...

 

[gentlefury]

I was just able to check. Only ML-aware apps, at the moment those that come with ML, can run in either screen, so it seems to be a new feature in the ML API. However you still cannot run separate full screen apps on different monitors simultaneously. It's not pointless since you could run something full screen on an attached projector or large screen TV, but it's not really what most of of want!



You could use the current version of Firefox as well. Not all applications have bought into the Lion full screen API.

Hopefully they will advance that by release to make it so you can have a full screen app on all available screens.

 

[talmy]

Hopefully they will advance that by release to make it so you can have a full screen app on all available screens.

Not likely. Apple's idea of "full screen" is that only one app shows at a time, no matter how many screens you have, so you can concentrate on that single app without distractions. Consider that with Lion Full Screen a full screen application now gets it's own desktop (this wasn't the case before) they would have to go with the ability to switch desktops per screen which would be complicated for the user (do you move the cursor to the screen you want to switch and swipe from there?? and how do you switch the entire desktop in that case??).

 

[throAU]

I'd take it a bit further -- It's a great feature but engineered for small 1 display systems (MacBook Airs and 13" MacBook Pro's) which have very limited screen area.
.

Dunno about that. I have a 15" hires and i love full screen mode.

 

[gentlefury]

Not likely. Apple's idea of "full screen" is that only one app shows at a time, no matter how many screens you have, so you can concentrate on that single app without distractions. Consider that with Lion Full Screen a full screen application now gets it's own desktop (this wasn't the case before) they would have to go with the ability to switch desktops per screen which would be complicated for the user (do you move the cursor to the screen you want to switch and swipe from there?? and how do you switch the entire desktop in that case??).

I would say, if you have 2 displays and you have two apps on said displays they both count as one desktop. So when you swipe they would both go and reveal the next set of desktops....exactly how it works now for non-full screen apps. Doesn't seem too complicated to me.

 

[talmy]

I would say, if you have 2 displays and you have two apps on said displays they both count as one desktop. So when you swipe they would both go and reveal the next set of desktops....exactly how it works now for non-full screen apps. Doesn't seem too complicated to me.

But think this through: at the time you make an app go full screen you can't be in a full screen desktop, and it always creates a new full screen desktop for the app. There is no way to place a second app on an existing full screen desktop. If you wanted that capability then you would need some way to specify the desktop you want the app to go full screen on, and that would complicate matters. The alternative would be to have the Desktops switch independently on each screen, which is also full of problems. And I haven't even addressed the issue that Lion Full Screen apps can make use of multiple screens (for instance, Aperture can display an image full screen on a second monitor while showing a screenful of thumbnail images on the first monitor.

 

[gentlefury]

But think this through: at the time you make an app go full screen you can't be in a full screen desktop, and it always creates a new full screen desktop for the app. There is no way to place a second app on an existing full screen desktop. If you wanted that capability then you would need some way to specify the desktop you want the app to go full screen on, and that would complicate matters. The alternative would be to have the Desktops switch independently on each screen, which is also full of problems. And I haven't even addressed the issue that Lion Full Screen apps can make use of multiple screens (for instance, Aperture can display an image full screen on a second monitor while showing a screenful of thumbnail images on the first monitor.

How is this difficult in any way? If I have an application in screen one and an application in screen 2 (both not full screen) and I swipe to desktop two, both screens shift to make way for the next 2 desktops. Just treat full screen exactly the same as pressing the plus button. Fill the screen....and leave the desktop on the other screens alone. There is nothing complicated about this in any way.

 

[talmy]

Just treat full screen exactly the same as pressing the plus button. Fill the screen....and leave the desktop on the other screens alone. There is nothing complicated about this in any way.

That's exactly what it does! But the problem is, it does this for every app that goes full screen, so each app that goes full screen does the implicit plus button push, and ends up on a new desktop. Two fullscreen apps can never share the same desktop!

 

[PurrBall]

I think the only way to solve this is to make Spaces independent of different monitors. For example, switching from Space 1 to Space 2 on one monitor, the other monitor is the same as it was, on Space 5 for example.

 

[joetweber]

Mountain Lion Full Screen Bug Report

It's another example of users needing to post their thoughts on http://bugreport.apple.com.

Thanks for the suggestion. Here's my bug report; feel free to use the screenshot in one of your own:

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/2862/screenshotmhh.jpg

 

[talmy]

Thanks for the suggestion. Here's my bug report; feel free to use the screenshot in one of your own:

http://img853.imageshack.us/img853/2862/screenshotmhh.jpg

If they were to respond it would be "working as designed". They don't consider this Lion feature to be a bug. The problem with the new "full screen" is that it creates a new space that cannot be shared, rather than what used to happen (for the few apps that had full screen implemented on their own) where the app would become full screen in the current space. The new full screen feature was designed for single monitor systems and allow you to quickly flip between full screen apps. Programs can still support the older full screen techniques. The way to complain is to submit bug reports for those applications that don't support the old full screen. As an alternative, just don't use full screen.

It's basically a losing battle as Macs for which the new full screen operation is better are becoming an increasingly larger percentage of Macs sold.

 

[haravikk]

It's basically a losing battle as Macs for which the new full screen operation is better are becoming an increasingly larger percentage of Macs sold.

Given that Apple are pushing their displays as the perfect companions for laptops, and with AirPlay now available, I think that multi-screen setups are becoming more of a reality. Granted, AirPlay currently only mirrors the screen (unless I've missed a setting somehow), but there seems no reason that shouldn't be able to work as an additional screen in future to make it better for presenting only some of the screen contents.

So I don't think optimising fullscreen for single monitors is a good move, as it unnecessarily limits everyone, and I can't believe it's beyond Apple's abilities to handle fullscreen more intelligently. Blanking out other screens is just a huge step back.

 

[Icy1007]

You can now use a full screen app on any monitor you want. It won't move to the primary monitor in ML, but it makes the other monitor(s) display the giant linen background.

So you can't use two full-screen apps at the same time.

 

[sindekit]

You can now use a full screen app on any monitor you want. It won't move to the primary monitor in ML, but it makes the other monitor(s) display the giant linen background.

So you can't use two full-screen apps at the same time.

Why did they make it like that? I only bought ML cause I thought you can finally full screen on multiple monitors

 

[chrono1081]

Why did they make it like that? I only bought ML cause I thought you can finally full screen on multiple monitors

There's technically nothing wrong with full screen on multiple monitors. Some applications when going in to full screen use both screens.

If the developer doesn't choose to do this, then you'll have one screen empty while the other screen has the application on it.

What people are after is an app that only goes full screen on one monitor, not both. This would screw with apps supporting dual displays.

 

[sindekit]

There's technically nothing wrong with full screen on multiple monitors. Some applications when going in to full screen use both screens.

If the developer doesn't choose to do this, then you'll have one screen empty while the other screen has the application on it.

What people are after is an app that only goes full screen on one monitor, not both. This would screw with apps supporting dual displays.

I guess I worded my statement improperly! I actually want two DIFFERENT full screen apps on two separate monitors.

Ah, I guess I'm just stuck making the app the largest window possible.

 

[shurcooL]

Learn to use it.

Apple should fix it to make it work the way you'd expect: maximize/restore windows.

They should also do something similar to how Windows 7/8 lets you snap windows to full/left half/right half of screen.

 

[talmy]

They should also do something similar to how Windows 7/8 lets you snap windows to full/left half/right half of screen.

Get BetterSnapTool from the Mac App Store or BetterTouchTool (same author) from his web site.

 

[mhadi]

Image

Learn to use it.

Apple should fix it to make it work the way you'd expect: maximize/restore windows.

Correct... except its functionality is not consistent across all apps - even Apple's own... So as you say, Apple should fix it.

The Mail app maximizes to fill the entire screen (less the menu bar and dock) - regardless of its original size and position - and restores to its original size and position. Perfect.

Notes, Calendar, Terminal, Console - and many others - The maximize/restore button works as one would expect.

However, Safari only maximizes and restores vertically - the horizontal width does not change. Menu->Window->Zoom has the same effect.

iTunes, it sends the window to MiniPlayer. However, Menu->Window->Zoom does in fact take the app fullscreen.

I think that if this little button provided the same results no matter which app was being used, many complaints would die right there.

Trust me, I understand exactly what people are complaining about (and I whole-heartedly agree). But at the same time, I think that there are 2 completely different things being used/understood/misunderstood/talked about: Full screen vs Full Desktop... and Apple is half the problem here.

No matter how many monitors a user has (2, 3, 4, etc) - a "Full Desktop" is always the conglomeration of all monitors... period. On the other hand, the term "Full Screen" should pertain to a single monitor <-- and this is the perception many people have, including myself. Apple has labeled, what is really Full Desktop, as Full Screen. We should not have to resort to third-party solutions. Unfortunately, I don't see Apple doing anything about it.

My .02

 

[talmy]

The "Maximize" button is not a "Maximize" button at all but is an "optimal size" button (a Mac is not a MS Windows system). It will adjust the size of the window optimally, which isn't necessarily the display size. For instance Safari *will* adjust the width to that which is optimal for the site while making the window as tall as possible. A word processor (such as Microsoft Word or Pages) will adjust the width to the with of the document at the current magnification.

 

[shurcooL]

Correct... except its functionality is not consistent across all apps - even Apple's own... So as you say, Apple should fix it.

No matter how many monitors a user has (2, 3, 4, etc) - a "Full Desktop" is always the conglomeration of all monitors... period. On the other hand, the term "Full Screen" should pertain to a single monitor <-- and this is the perception many people have, including myself. Apple has labeled, what is really Full Desktop, as Full Screen.

I agree. Very good post.

The "Maximize" button is not a "Maximize" button at all but is an "optimal size" button (a Mac is not a MS Windows system). It will adjust the size of the window optimally, which isn't necessarily the display size.

In theory, yes.

In practice, more often it fails to make the window wide enough.