using dual monitors
i have a 24" iMac its big enough but later on i want a bigger screen. i am gonna buy that dell 27". if i use it in monitor extender mode. like making my monitor between the two 51" will there be boxes at the corners sense my other monitor is bigger? how is using dual monitors on apples? is it similar to windows?
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As for the technicalities, you can arrange the positions of the displays in the Monitors controls panel, as well as the menu bar, dock, etc. This is a very old mac feature (circa 1991) that was borrowed by Windows.
You have two monitors. You open up the "Displays" CP and it in-turn opens up one instance on each display. So you can set the background, dock position, etc, independently on each display. There are no "bars." You don't have to make a crack-baby dual background image the way you do in windows. Even better, when you take a screenshot, Mac OS X makes you two images.
Once you get two monitors and hook them up, it's very self-explanatory. the bottom line is that if you're happy with the way it works in Windows, you'll certain be happy with the way it works on the mac. It's like being happy with hamburger but getting New York strip steak.
I'm not sure how the dock works. I haven't used a dual monitor setup for two years or so, and I don't ever remember needing that much dock.
Here is an image of mine – the screens are of different sizes, but they share the same dot pitch, which is nice. This is at my school office, hence the tacky 1960's desk.
Btw, to answer your question(s): When connecting another display to your 24" iMac, everything that is already on the iMac display will stay there (unless you start playing with the display arrangement settings).
The second display, however, will just be a blank open space with nothing on it but the desktop image of your choice. No Dock there, no top menu bar, nothing, except that you can move any windows to the left (or right) of your iMac's screen.
One big difference to the Windows side exists, though: in Windows, every window of an application comes with its own set of menu bar, whereas on the Mac, the menu bar will stay where it is - in the top of the main screen. That COULD be annoying when you want to do something that requires going up to the menu bar, because you have to go to the other screen with the mouse pointer. But a lot of people use the second display for iTunes, Mail and/or Safari, which all don't require using the menu bar that much.
Btw, if I remember things correctly, in Windows, the taskbar will not extend itself to the second display either.