Horizontal spanning with dual monitor?

[SimplyRyan]

I can easily set up dual monitors on my hack without any issues. As a matter of fact, I can get up to three monitors working on my card without any problems. My question is this; does any third party software exist that can enable horizontal spanning on dual monitors?
I have a pair of 21" monitors, but ideally I'd like to rotate them 90* and use them side by side as a single large desktop. I know that back in Windows XP you used to be able to do this, but I don't know if such a thing is possible on OSX. As they say, a picture is worth 1000 words, so here is what I mean.

This is what my setup looks like as it is right now:



And this is what I would LIKE to have:



My monitors are 21" 1600x900 widescreen monitors so this would in essence result in a 1800x1600 screen. If anyone knows if this is possible please let me know.

 

[powerpcg5]

No, you can't split the dock or the top header.

There is a program that will re-create the top header menu on the 2nd monitor... but the bottom dock will stay only on one monitor.

 

[SimplyRyan]

Yeah, I've seen Second Bar, but that's not exactly what I'm talking about. Back in the Tiger/PPC era, there was an app called "Screen Spanning Doctor" that could do what I'm talking about. On Windows XP, spanning was just one of the modes available using multiple monitors and Linux used to be able to span across multiple monitors using Xinerama but to the best of my knowledge it no longer works due to changes in RANDR for ATI and nVidia cards. And since Intel doesn't really make remote graphics cards with multiple outputs the point is moot. It is strange that Windows, Linux and OSX USED to be able to span horizontally across multiple monitors but such is no longer possible on any platform, OSX, Windows and Linux.

 

[powerpcg5]

It is strange that Windows, Linux and OSX USED to be able to span horizontally across multiple monitors but such is no longer possible on any platform, OSX, Windows and Linux.

I think it's more of a usability issue. One has a primary monitor to launch programs and do most of their stuff, and a secondary monitor to check up on occasional things (email for example, preview, etc.)

While I have 2 monitors, 90% of my work is done on my main monitor. The 2nd monitor has an open Mail program all the time, or a Lightroom full screen preview, or a running program I'm occasionally keeping track of, etc. So, the dock and header not being present on the 2nd monitor is not a big issue for me.

Back in PPC days, I used to have a utility that will recreate all header menus and make it a pop-up window, right beside the mouse pointer. I miss that program! That way, I don't have to move all the way to the top header to access a menu item, I can just call up this popup menu anywhere. I can't find an Intel/Universal program equivalent though.

 

[powerpcg5]

Talk about some luck...
I found this program. Just bought it and works great. -- it's made by a different author, but same functionality.

(dang, he sold 40,000 copies @ $5 a pop! )... make that 40,001 counting me in.
MENUPOP
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/menupop/id404747434?mt=12

 

[Davirus]

No, you can't split the dock or the top header.

There is a program that will re-create the top header menu on the 2nd monitor... but the bottom dock will stay only on one monitor.

And what is that program?

 

[thierry37]

While I have 2 monitors, 90% of my work is done on my main monitor. The 2nd monitor has an open Mail program all the time, or a Lightroom full screen preview, or a running program I'm occasionally keeping track of, etc. So, the dock and header not being present on the 2nd monitor is not a big issue for me.
.

SimplyRyan,
Do you need to use your 2 monitors, like a single one? (I would be surprised)
Or do you just turn them vertically, then you would use the left one as main monitor?

I guess, it's not big deal if the dock and the menu bar is only on one monitor.

 

[powerpcg5]

And what is that program?

Secondbar.
http://blog.boastr.net/?page_id=79

re: back in the olden days of 17" (1024x768) CRT monitors, spanning was a good solution to increase the total size of our work area. But with today's widescreen monitors, I don't think it's much relevant - maybe that's why they stopped offering that feature.