Video Shows Differences Between Mavericks and Mountain Lion Multiple Monitor Support

During the WWDC Keynote presentation last week, Apple executive Craig Federighi showed off Mac OS X Mavericks. One of the new features is more substantial support for multiple monitors.

In Mountain Lion, there are issues with using full-screen apps on setups with multiple monitors. Putting an app into full-screen mode disables the rest of the monitors. In Mavericks, apps can be set to full screen on individual monitors and moved around as necessary.

However, as this video shows (via 9to5Mac), there are some changes in Mavericks that multiple monitor users may not like. For instance, application windows cannot be used across multiple monitors anymore -- windows can only be used on one monitor at a time. Also, spaces are only switched individually, which could affect the workflow of some users.


It appears that, in OS X Mavericks, users can switch between both the Mountain Lion multiple monitor setup and the new multiple monitor support in Mavericks as needed. As always, it's worth noting that this is a beta and things could change before the final version of OS X Mavericks is released in the Fall.

Related Forum: OS X Mavericks

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

Porshuh944turbo Avatar
155 months ago
SO he doesn't like it in Mavericks because he can't see his pretty wallpaper on all 6 screens when he switches one of them? :rolleyes:

What a "nightmare"...




edit: Proposed fix that I think would solve this: Hold option key switches all screens
Score: 78 Votes (Like | Disagree)
neuropsychguy Avatar
155 months ago
The only real issue is not being able to have an application spread across multiple monitors. That's the only issue for Apple to "fix".
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WestonHarvey1 Avatar
155 months ago
One of the biggest complains people have had about the old version is this guys biggest complaint about the new version. People were complaining that they had to switch spaces on every screen when they just wanted to do it on one. The idea that you want all of your spaces to switch so that the giant background works correctly is ridiculous. It is working exactly how it should work.
Why is this so hard to get? The wallpaper is just a proxy for what he's talking about. You can't lay out a bunch of apps spanning his 6-monitor setup in one space, then a completely different set of apps spanning the array on another space, and then switch between those two spaces. That context is lost entirely with this arrangement.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
WestonHarvey1 Avatar
155 months ago
SO he doesn't like it in Mavericks because he can't see his pretty wallpaper on all 6 screens when he switches one of them? :rolleyes:

What a "nightmare"...
It's not the wallpaper. It is not being able to switch all monitors at the same time. You can't cover an array of monitors with a single space, and switch between spaces like you can now.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FirePhantom Avatar
155 months ago
SO he doesn't like it in Mavericks because he can't see his pretty wallpaper on all 6 screens when he switches one of them? :rolleyes:

What a "nightmare"...
^

Also, I don't think he's in any position to complain considering he doesn't even have his six monitors calibrated together.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Asclepio Avatar
155 months ago
still broken, snow leopard is better and faster.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)