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Posts with tag multiple monitors

Filed under: Design, Developer, Fun, Games, Photo, Utilities, Video, News, Windows, Productivity, Microsoft

Windows Vista multiple monitor restriction

multiple monitorsI've been a multiple-monitor nutjob since Windows 98 (first edition), when only a small number of video cards were even supported for a multiple monitor configuration. As time has gone on, Microsoft has made Windows better at dealing with multiple video cards driving multiple monitors. I'm sure part of this has been Microsoft guiding the video card companies to support certain standards, allowing Windows to get some consistency.

I hadn't really even considered the multiple monitor situation with respect to Windows Vista, because since Windows XP, it just really hasn't been much of an issue. Need another monitor? Slap in another video card, and away you go.

Now, it turns out, if you want to run the new Aero interface, you'll need to be using the same video driver to drive all of your monitors. Now, since Aero (in my opinion) is one of the only reasons to run Vista, obviously not running Aero isn't going to be an option. Hopefully this means that different cards within the same families that run on the same drivers, for example ATI's Catalyst drivers, will be supported. But if it turns out that Microsoft is requiring identical cards for each additional monitor, they've taken a big step backwards.

Filed under: Utilities, News, Windows, Microsoft, Commercial

Vista feature: Transient MultiMon

Mary Jo Foley reports that Microsoft is now talking up a few new features for Vista, including Transient MultiMon which is intended to make Windows smarter about what to do when external displays are plugged in or unplugged from mobile devices. Personally, I think the time has come for features like this one. I run into this particular headache every day when plugging in my external monitor. Although I've got it down to two mouse clicks to make XP aware of the extra monitor, realistically it shouldn't even require that. Windows should know as soon as I plug the external monitor in, and should even remember based on the monitor's firmware which monitor it is, and what my preferred positioning and resolution are for it. That way, I could be portable between a number of places where extra monitors are available to me, and Windows would know what to do in every situation.

Here's hoping that Vista also handles the taskbar better on secondary displays. It should work out of the box the way it does when you have UltraMon installed. I'm just sayin'.

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

View more Time Wasters

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