If you want a really good example of where a box like this would be needed, look no further than your local church. Traditional churches by nature are all non-profit organizations that operate on a very tight shoestring budget. Whatever technology is brought into the church must have good longevity to it because there’s simply no other purchase options. They can’t lease computer boxes. Whatever they get, they own, and it has to last a long time.

You could, if so desired, opt not to build but rather go with a brand name like Dell as they have new desktop PCs starting at $269. But maybe you’re in the situation where you have to deal with existing PCs because the budget simply won’t allow for the purchase of new computers. In this instance you have to refit them with new parts that will stand the test of time. That’s what this how-to covers.

The icons seen below are from Icon Archive. Be sure to check that place out for some truly good looking icons for Windows, Mac or Linux.

  Motherboard and CPU

It used to be that AMD was cheaper than Intel, but this is no longer the case. Were you to compare AMD vs. Intel in both motherboard and CPU prices, you’ll find they’re almost identical on the lower end of the cost spectrum.

When it comes to long-haul computing, the prevention of heat is a major consideration. Fortunately this is easy to take care of, because all you have to do is employ the use of a low-watt CPU. AMD has 45-watt offerings and Intel has 35-watt. Either is a good choice.

  RAM

With desktop memory the goal is to use the "slowest" possible sticks you can buy. Once again this is done to avoid heat. Use the bare minimum clock speed that the RAM banks will support, and put the maximum amount of RAM in the box it can support.

Also try, if possible, to use same-brand RAM. This will avoid any unforeseen issues with old RAM, as in some instances old sticks do not "play nice" with new ones. It is rare when this happens, but not out of the realm of possibility and you probably don’t have a RAM tester. (If you do have one however, use it.)

  Hard Drive

This step is simple, stick with 7200rpm hard disk drives. Were it a few years ago I would have recommended to use a 5400rpm (again, for less heat), but those offerings are now all but gone for standard 3.5-inch drives, and you’ll spend too much on a 5400rpm due to its rarity. The tried-and-true 7200rpm SATA of any media storage size works fine.

  Sound Card

Any. Doesn’t matter what you use as long as it works. You’ll most likely use the on-board sound from the motherboard anyway.

  Video Card

If the motherboard has a built-in video port, use it. Heat is avoided by doing this. If there isn’t any on-board video, what to use for a video card depends on the operating system. I’ll cover that in a moment.

  Optical drive

As long as the customer reviews for the optical drive you’re shopping for are favorable and it can play, read and burn CDs and DVDs, that’s all that matters.

  Case fans

This is the only part of the build where you absolutely cannot go low-cost. The case fans you use must be of premium grade, have good bearings and be as quiet as possible. Their only job in life is to cool, so don’t go cheap with these.

Here’s an example of a premium case fan. Yes, it’s almost $25 per fan. But it’s one of the best you can buy and totally worth the money.

I’m not saying you have to buy $25 case fans, but don’t go with the two-dollar cheap stuff. Do so and the PC’s life will end earlier.

  Operating System

If the box has a legal licensed copy of Windows XP or Vista, you’re all set. Continue to use it, continue to automatically download auto-updates as they are provided.

XP runs happily with 1GB of RAM and a 64MB video card. You can’t game on it, but you can do just about everything else.

The system requirements for Vista state it can get by on 1GB RAM, but as everybody knows it needs at least 2GB. The minimums also state that 128MB video is needed, but in reality 512MB suits it much better.

If the box has an illegal copy of XP or Vista, you need to either purchase a license of Windows 7 or switch to Linux – especially if the box you’re building is going to be used by somebody else. Why? Because somewhere along the line Windows will break without its needed updates eventually. And if you’re the one building a box for someone else, guess who gets the first phone call when somehow the end user magically turns on auto-updates and WGA disables Windows? That’s right, you do. Do you honestly want to deal with that?

The purchase of 7 is out of the question for most people because it blows the budget. You’d have to buy a full license of Windows 7 Home Premium, which costs just under $110. The "Starter" Edition of Windows 7 is only available to OEMs and not the general public unfortunately.

Linux’s strongest point is that it’s free. The flavor that’s the most suitable choice is the very recently released Ubuntu 9.10.

If you happen to be building/refitting a box for someone else, and that person only requires the basics of computing, you may want to consider Ubuntu Netbook Remix instead. It’s designed for netbooks, but has superior performance on low-end computer boxes. It also helps that the 9.10 UNR interface is super-friendly to use.

One of the few things that may prove to be a roadblock with UNR is printing. This is not Ubuntu’s fault, but rather the fact that most printers only come provided with proprietary Windows and Mac control software.

Check printer compatibility here for Ubuntu. It’s well worth the time to take a few minutes to read that over for your specific printer. Yours should be there as the lists are extensive. You know you’re in good shape if your printer is listed as both supported and working.

  Mouse

At least mid-grade quality, not wireless and manufactured by Microsoft or Logitech.

  Keyboard

Same requirements as the mouse.

  Monitor

You’ll most likely be using the existing monitor. If buying another, don’t buy used. Buy new.

The price for a new low-cost LCD monitor off the shelf will be between $125 and $175.

If you opt to buy online, specifically seek out the ones with free shipping, else you’ll pay the same price as you would off the shelf for the same thing.

As for the size, don’t buy anything under 18 inches. It’s simply not worth it.

  Software

In a basic sense, your computer must be able to:

• Browse the web
• Have the ability to use instant messaging easily
• Compose documents and spreadsheets and be able to share those documents easily
• Be able to import images from a digital camera easily
• Be able to edit images on a basic level easily
• Print
• Be able to burn CDs and DVDs
• Play DVD video
• Have sufficient protection against spyware, malware and viruses

Here’s each point covered one by one. I’m listing very specific choices that don’t require any additional software unless absolutely necessary. The less software installed, the better off the overall installation is.

Browse the web

Windows: Internet Explorer
Ubuntu: Firefox

Instant messaging

Windows: Windows Live Messenger
Ubuntu: Pidgin

Documents and Spreadsheets

Windows: OpenOffice
Ubuntu: OpenOffice

Digital Camera image import / Basic photo editing

Windows: Windows Live Photo Gallery
Ubuntu: F-Spot

Printing

Windows: Use provided printer control software CD or download from printer OEM’s web site
Ubuntu: Depends if the printer is supported or not by the OS (see above)

Burning CDs and DVDs

Windows, Data/Backup: Built-in to the OS natively, drag/drop
Windows, Music: Windows Media Player

Ubuntu, Data/Backup: Built-in to the OS natively, drag/drop
Ubuntu, Music: Brasero (included with OS)

Play DVD Video

Windows XP: Not included with DVD video codecs on fresh XP install. Codec must be provided by purchased player software such as WinDVD or CyberDVD.

Windows Vista/7: Codecs included, uses Windows Media Player to play DVDs.

Ubuntu: Codecs included, uses Totem to play DVDs.

Virus, spyware and malware protection

Windows: Microsoft Security Essentials or any other number of free protection suites.

Ubuntu: Generally speaking, not required because of the way Linux is designed. But if you feel you need it, there’s documentation aplenty on it.

  Placement

If you have the option, place the PC on the desk and not on the floor. As you know, computers are dirt magnets. This not only makes the computer box easier to clean but also keeps it away from dust and dirt that collects on the floor that the case fans would otherwise suck inside the box.

  Performance notes and other tips

The only time you’ll experience true slowdowns is on web pages with heavy Flash use. Then again, Flash will bring any web browser to its knees if you throw enough of that content at it even on the fastest of computers.

It is better if the PC has wired instead of wireless networking as it will speed things up quite a bit concerning internet usage. It’s not that wireless won’t work, but you want to give any speed advantage you can, so if you have the option, use wired internet connectivity.

Automate everything you possibly can. For example, if using a Windows OS you could use Defraggler to schedule drive defragmenting easily.

If you can, clone the drive once everything is installed, so if something busts on a major level, you’ve got a "vanilla" copy ready to be imaged back if the need arises.

Try (or instruct whoever is getting the PC) to get in the habit of "living in the browser." Keep installed apps to a minimum. The less apps there are, the less likely something will break on the software side and in many cases the speedier the OS will run, regardless of what OS it is. The best way to do this is to stay in the browser as much as possible.

For every app you download and install, save that to USB stick or CD/DVD. It’s also smart to perform a software inventory periodically just in case you have to reinstall the OS for whatever reason.

For any hardware you installed that has a warranty, put all the paperwork in an envelope and physically tape it to the side or top of the case. It’s not pretty, but you’ll never lose the info, should you need it.

Final notes

The best way to treat an older computer is to configure it like a kiosk would be. A kiosk by nature is set up to be simple and efficient. If you use Ubuntu Netbook Remix, this is very much how your computer will act, and that’s not a bad thing. You can do the same with Windows by hiding the taskbar, avoiding the Start menu when possible and placing the icons for the apps you regularly use on the desktop.

If you approach computing this way with an older refitted PC box and build it as outlined above, it should easily last 5 or more years.

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Long Haul Low-Cost PC "Refit" How-To

If you stock your built PC with parts that are the right choice the first time, your Windows installation will run better and faster.

Please Login or Register to read the rest of this article. Gold/Silver Membership required.

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Building A “Perfect” Windows PC

Well I suppose if NVIDIA didn’t do it I’m sure someone else would have.

Did you just build the most awesomest superest kick-assing-est computer ever (most likely for gaming)? Well, guess what – it’s obsolete. Darn that modern technology.

Okay, in all seriousness, yes this card can be used (obviously) – but certainly not for gaming because what a waste that would be. If you want a real-world example of where this sucker can be put to good use, that would be medical imaging.

Oh, and if you want one, it’s $3,499.

And I swear, if I hear one gamer nerd say, "LOL HOW MANY FPS CAN I GET ON FULL SETTING CRYSIS WITH THAT?!" or anything to that effect, I will personally come to your house and kick you in the jewels.

[Source: ars technica]

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NVIDIA Releases Crap We Don’t Need, A 4GB Video Card

If you ever go through the PCMech forums here and read about the newest gaming machines people are putting together, usually there is a (and in some cases 2) pretty powerful and, of course, expensive graphics card included. If you aren’t looking to drop top dollar for a top of the line card, then consider either a second generation or a budget card.

I came across an interesting article which puts graphic cards costing less than $100 to the test. The article goes into some really intricate details, but the author draws the following conclusion:

If you have a monitor that’s 1280×1024 or smaller, a very affordable graphics card like the $80 Radeon HD 4670 will allow you to play many of the latest games with ease. Even at 1680×1050, in fact, the Radeon HD 4650 and GeForce 9600 GSO can produce acceptable frame rates. You may have to compromise a bit, dialing back features like antialiasing or in-game image quality settings, in order to get acceptable performance in the most demanding of today’s games, but the compromises probably won’t be too terrible.

Of course, if you are a gamer, the card will not be future proof by any means. Think of this though: in about a year or so the cards which currently sell for $300+ dollars will probably drop to the $100 range and, most likely, would be good enough to play the current games at that time. This way you have only spent ~$200 (instead of $300 to begin with) and you may even be able to sell your old card on eBay.

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Is A ‘Budget’ Graphics Card Good Enough For You?

–START OF THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE–

It has been announced that DirectX 11 will include a completely new type of graphics rendering called ray-tracing. Wait a minute. It’s not new. In fact, it’s been around since the 80’s. How come it took so long to be implemented for public use? How does it work? What advantages does it have over current-gen graphics? These questions are about to be answered.

Ray-Tracing

Ray-Tracing was first introduced in 1986, and is basically defined as tracing the paths of light as they interact with objects. This is essentially what our eyes do, so it creates quite a vivid and realistic picture. Unfortunately it wasn’t practical to use in everyday graphics because it took up so much raw power to compute. It was used scarcely in the 90’s, but only for demonstrations and now in the 21st century with multi-core technology it is finally possible to make Ray-Tracing practical.

So what happened? Well the movie-industry took advantage of it right off the bat. Many special effects were ray-traced to give a more realistic look. The movie Beowulf was entirely ray-traced. It wasn’t perfect, but it was damn close, and a heck of a lot better than what people have now. To give you an example of how much power it takes to ray-trace though, a person created a video of real-time ray tracing of a convertible on YouTube, and it takes the combined effort of THREE PS3 consoles. You can check it out here, it’s pretty cool. Remember each PS3 has 8 processors (6 active), so we are looking at over 20 processors for one, non-moving object.

Hmm. This is starting to explain some things. Like Why Nvidia did not support DX10.1 on their 9-series cards, and not have any new technology on the cards other than smaller chip-sizes. They realized that the old ways of graphics are dying. What’s the point of Directx 10.1 anyway? Rasterisation, what Nvidia and ATI use, has reached its peak. They both have perfected the art of essentially faking graphics. Now it’s time for the real stuff. It’s an open field, and apparently Intel is planning on joining the competition. They recently have been experimenting with combining a processor with the graphics card with successful results. This could spell bad news for both ATI and Nvidia, but knowing the way Intel prices things I’m sure there will still be close competition.

An interesting thing about ray-tracing is that it is fairly scalable. With rasterisation, you notice less and less with each improvement. For example the new 8-core skull-trail beast from Intel hardly earns gamers a few FPS on rasterisation. For ray-tracing however, it will be exactly 8 times better than a single-core. So what will this do? Well there will probably be a new multi-core processor every couple months, possibly reaching over 100 before 2010. If each has implemented graphics with ray-tracing technology, you can see the benefit of that over getting a separate graphics card.

Benefits of Ray Tracing

By now you probably want to see what ray-tracing can do compared to rasterizing. Well take a look at this image on the right. As you can plainly see, the ray-tracing image has more realistic reflections and shadows. Nvidia has worked their butts with their 3D shader processors, but they could never get anything close to this. It’s very encouraging to see the difference, but remember we are a ways off from getting objects of that clarity interactive on our computers. Directx 11 is only going to support a few limited things, so that the transition to ray-tracing is gradual, and not all at once. I won’t be surprised if Ray-Tracing Processing Units (RPU’s) are implemented on the Nvidia 10 series cards. At first maybe only characters are ray-traced. Then as new hardware is introduced, textures and objects within certain draw distance are ray-traced, until eventually everything as far as the eye can see is ray-traced and rasterisation becomes a thing of the past.

And This Matters Because…

Is this a good thing? Maybe. Everything would be a lot more predictable and you would be able to confidently tell which brand of graphics card is better just by looking at the data sheet, unlike today, where the only real way of telling which of two cards are better is by rigorously testing them in 3D programs, measuring their temperatures, calculating wattage, etc. So there will be two consequences. Either we will finally end the number game by being able to really tell what is what without any background info, or, more likely, it will simply enter the next stage of confusing the common public in return for profit.

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Directx 11 to Reveal a New Era of Graphics

The 9 series of NVIDIA graphics was speculated since at least October of 2007, when it became evident that NVIDIA would not release a 8900 and 8950, as many insisted (the inquirer, for example). New rumors speculated a 30% increase from the top 9-series card, the 9800GTX, over the 8800 ultra. Also to have over one billion transistors, 1GB of graphics memory, over one teraflops of shader processing power, and other features like DirectX 10.1 and a built in audio chip. What does this mean? Quite simply, it’s a beast. Many of this was just crazy talk (built in audio chip?), but some of it proved true.

Many expected it to come out before the holidays, but December came and went. Only until January rolled around did some hard evidence of the chips in progress appear. However the 9800GTX was now realized as not bring the top 9 series card. Pictures of the new top 9 series card, the 9800GX2 (two cores in one), were released, and many became intrigued. In late February the 9 series was officially underway with the release of the 9600 GT. About a month later in March the 9800GX2 was released. Around the same time prices and release dates were revealed for the rest of the 9 series.

So where does this leave you? Will these new graphic cards render yours obsolete? Here’s a list of some of the new technology.

Quad-SLI: Okay, so it’s not really new since the 7950X2 versions had it, but it’s worth mentioning due to its absence in the 8 series. Only available to the 9800X2 design, it lets you place two 9800GX2 models in two pci-express slots, utilizing the power of 4 graphics cards.

Pure-Video 3rd Generation Update: An update to the previous version of Pure Video, allowing things like better contrast ratios in high def viewing and the ability to keep the aero feature on vista while watching a high def movie.

G90 Core: The new chip that Nvidia has based its new technology on. It allows for a smaller card, less heat consumption, less heat, and less noise. Though no significant performance gains like the jump to the G80 core, it will be a blessing to those fed up with the heat and noise of the 8 series cards.

So the list is kind of short, which raises some eyebrows on why NVIDIA chose to start a new series. Let’s move on to the meat and potatoes, the specs. Listed below are some quick stats known to date of 5 9 series cards.

The 9800 GT was also announced, but not enough information to put on this chart, and there is still some tweaking time for Nvidia since its release is not until April. A new 9500 GS and 9600 GS are also rumored to appear, but not confirmed. Everything else is semi-official, except for the 9600GT and 9800GX2 which are 100% accurate due to the fact that they have already been released.

So, what’s true and what is rumor?

Well none of the 9 series cards will have directx10.1, support, not that it matters too much considering its small improvement over the directx10. None have a built-in audio chip, and I doubt that will ever catch on in the future. As far as the other statistics, like the amount of transistors, memory, and processing power, it is only true for the 9800GX2. The GTX overall has slightly lower numbers than the GX2 as expected, but will be the best single core graphics card, and allows tri-SLI.

Where does this leave you?

Well that depends on what you have and what you do. If you have a series 7 setup or lower (with possible exception to dual 7950 X2), a leap to the 9 series is definitely beneficial, due to its new smaller chip design that allows for better power consumption, lower temperatures, and quieter card than the 8 series. If you have an 8800 series card, I wouldn’t even consider it. There is just not enough new technology to justify moving, except the physical aspects pertaining to the chip size. If you need the extra speed and performance and will pay $600 for it, that’s your decision, but keep in mind that it won’t have any expandability for future games over the 8 series, due to its lack of new features. If you have a 8600 card or lower, moving to a 9600 GT is up to 90% better of raw performance, so it would be a very good decision in the long run, but only until the new 10 series comes out. Hopefully NVIDIA has some revolutionary designs in store for the double digit series, and is just using the 9 series to milk up more money from the 8 series by changing a few things and slapping a “9” sticker on it. It may have been that NVIDIA just got sick of the 8 series cards. Either way, there isn’t much new technology here, just some spec increases on a more affordable graphics card. So until the next series comes out, we have to painfully keep track of the NVIDIA number game as they continue to reap the rewards from the 8-series technology on a new chip.

Bottom Line

The 9-series appears to be for the mid-range consumers, as Nvidia is lowering the price of their cards for better performance. No $750 high-end card like the 8800 Ultra, as the GX2 comes in at roughly $600. The high end 8-series card prices will drop, like the 8800 GT, GTS, and GTX, so if you want one of those the 9-series might make it available to you for a $150-300 range. It also makes the extreme-gamers look a bit silly. Those that bought three 8800 Ultra cards in Tri-SLI for over $2000 will be bested by 2 9800 GX2 cards in Quad-SLI at a little over $1000. If you’re worried about your card being obsolete, unless you have a 7 series card or lower like mentioned above you shouldn’t worry. If you have an 8400, 8500, or 8600, you might want to check them out. 8800 cards or above, just enjoy the performance that you have and wish for built-in audio chips in the next Nvidia series.

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NVIDIA 9 Series – Where Does This Leave You?

According to the story on Ars:

Microsoft’s data strongly indicates that the problems were real. Damon Poeter at CRN dug through the documentation to find that on page 47 of the PDF, NVIDIA drivers were identified as the cause of over 479,000 crashes, or just under 29 percent of all the crashes Microsoft logged. Microsoft’s own drivers follow, at 17.9 percent, and the “Unknown” category takes third place at 17 percent. ATI is in fourth place (9.3 percent) and Intel in fifth place (8.83 percent).

We have been hearing about problems with Nvidia under Vista from PCMech visitors. In fact, I personally had issues using Nvidia in 2007 under Vista. I had to actually go out and spring for an ATI card just to make my video system work under Windows Vista. Needless to say, I was pissed.

So, these emails pretty much confirm what we informally already knew: Nvidia was (and perhaps is still) problematic under Windows Vista.

Even Microsoft VPs got “personally burnt” by the Vista-capable stickers.

It really is hard to imagine how Microsoft could have so royally screwed up with Windows Vista.

Two words: Save XP.

Source: Ars Technica via Engadget

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Nvidia The Cause of 30% of Vista Crashes

X2, Only Prettier

The HD 3870 X2 is exactly what its name sounds like. Following the same principle behind the GeForce 7950 GX2, AMD has placed 2 of its RV670 chips on one board, and linked them via a CrossFire bridge. I am not here to give a review, as there are a few out there already. I am here to tell you what AMD did here that was so smart, and what they’ll need to be careful of in the near future.

Smooth Moves

Price: The card itself isn’t really what you’d call an innovation. There was no new tech involved here, as is illustrated by the usage of the RV670 chip. What we see here is a company who played the game well and worked with what they had. There has been some talk of the fact that nVidia could do the same thing and stick a pair of G92 chips on a board and call it done. To directly contest the idea that this circumstance matters a whole lot, I’ll point out that nVidia wouldn’t likely accomplish the same feat at the price that AMD has done it. This card’s price is set at $450, which really turns the tide in arguably the most important segment in the market. While the enthusiast cares not about money, they make up a very small portion of computer users, let alone gamers. The bang-for-buck folk out there will be thrilled by this price, especially when comparable cards can only be bought for $700 and above. I doubt that nVidia can pull off the same thing without shifting their entire pricing lineup.

Compatibility: I said before that the two chips are linked by an onboard CrossFire solution. For those of you with alternate chipsets that don’t support CrossFire, you’ll be delighted to know that you’ll be able to run this monster without a problem. This is really smart, because in a world of proprietary systems and interfaces, we can’t always get what we want.

Timing: AMD is still strapped for cash in many areas, but by releasing a product like this, they can obtain the upper hand, even if for a short while, and produce some much needed revenue. This will also buy them some time to work out the next big issues. They need to fix Phenom, be ready to produce the next lineup of CPUs, and they also need to get the ball rolling on their next GPU. This industry is all about momentum, and no victories are won overnight. One great product has the potential to lead to many other great products, and that is what all of us should be hoping for.

Tradition: It used to be that the words ‘enthusiast product’ were synonymous with AMD. The FX line of processors, as an example, were the champion gaming CPUs of the day, and the company garnered for itself a very valuable fan base. I did say that the enthusiast market is a small one, and that still stands, but the fact that AMD placed a component in that segment again after a long hiatus is a sign that they are getting back on track.

Don’t Get Comfortable

Even though it is doubtful that nVidia will try to drop prices to compete with the new card, photos are already out depicting the new GeForce 9800 GX2. This victory is already being viewed as short-lived, even though it is not over yet. The fact remains that nVidia has more money, and thus more muscle in this fight. If AMD doesn’t use this victory to produce more of the same, it will find itself in trouble again. They key here is follow-through. Intel made a big mistake by trying to stretch a thing like the NetBurst architecture too far in a volatile market. The same thing could happen here if AMD pushes their current graphics chips into the next generation of products. If their next chip isn’t either a highly modified RV670 or a brand new architecture, they’ll find it difficult to market it to the masses.

Playing catchup is an expensive business to be in, because you end up putting a lot of time and effort into a product lineup that may or may not be successful. However, conservative business tactics are not the route to be taken, and it appears that AMD agrees with me. They need to do something different in order to stand out and be profitable. Fusion is a great example of this, and all of the steps they are taking quite clearly point to this goal. Intel, having caught wind of the plan, has also invested heavily in the graphics department. AMD having a strong graphics department in ATi should afford them the time (again, that timing issue) to pull off the project, but they need to get a working product out there before the higher-end Nehalem chips hits the shelves. One of the most important rules of marketing is to get there first. If you are there first, it will be very tough for competitors to topple you or loosen your grasp in the sector. The message here is simple: If AMD slacks off now, they’ll have an even tougher time recovering from the Core 2 Duo fallout than they did before.

This Is Good for Everybody

For those that need extra convincing, or those that are major fans of AMD’s competition, this is an extremely good thing for you as the consumer. Imagine if you held the championship title for a long time, and you finally got knocked out by a guy with less muscle. Would you be angry enough to get off your butt and do something about it? Exactly. This blow wasn’t a huge one, but I’ll bet it stung. AMD is doing a great job at keeping things under wraps until the last second, and I think it has helped them recently. Investors may disagree, but this tactic has been a smart one for the last while because they can’t afford to be predictable. If Intel and nVidia can anticipate their every move, then we’ll really be hooped.

Well done, AMD. Just don’t stop there.

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From AMD, With Love

Why? Because I can.

But, now that I am doing it, is it all roses? No. So, which operating system is better in this department? Windows XP or Mac OS X?

Fitts’s Law

One of the things that constantly strikes me about this issue is how both camps have such rock solid opinions. Well, truth be told, it seems it is the OS X users who get the most defensive about it. Apple is, of course, thought to be the king of interface design. In most areas, I would agree. When it comes to multi-screen support, I disagree.

Fitts’s Law is often quoted. Wikipedia defines it as:

Fitts’s law (often cited as Fitts’ law) is a model of human movement which predicts the time required to rapidly move to a target area, as a function of the distance to the target and the size of the target.

It has an equation and everything. More simply stated, the idea is that the larger the target, the easier it is to use. So, the idea with the top menu bar in OS X is that it covers the entire top of the screen. The mouse cursor cannot move beyond it. This means that any flick of the mouse upward will hit the menu. Very large target.

Beyond Fitts’s Law

OK, Fitts’s law is a workable model. But, how does this translate into real-world use? That’s where I fail to see the point of it in the design of OS X. Let’s look at REAL WORLD use of multiple screens in both operating systems.

In Windows XP, multiple screens is easy. You install the video cards, install the drivers, and then all the screens will appear in your Display Properties. You can move them around in relation to one another, etc. When you operate an application on a particular screen, the menu bar goes with the program. So, no matter where the application is, the menu bar is within a short distance of your workspace.

Now, let’s take OS X. Driver installation is a non-issue because Apple so tightly controls the hardware. It does properly detect all screens. It doesn’t always detect the proper native resolution for the monitor, but that is an easy thing to correct. Changing arrangement and settings of multiple screens is really easy with OS X. You can give each screen it’s own background (harder to do that in Windows). Visually, the interface for managing multiple monitors in OS X is solid.

Practically, though, it is a nightmare. And that is due to the simple fact that the top menu bar is tied to one screen. Sure, you can easily choose which of your screens is primary (and hence which displays the menu and the Dock), but it does not move. That top menu bar is used for every application. All of Apple’s GUI design genius looks really stupid when they can’t think of something better than this.

So, I have four screens attached to the Mac Pro. If I am working with an application on the far screen, I have to scroll over TWO SCREENS to get to the menu bar for the program I am working with. I cannot barely put into words just how frickin’ idiotic that is. Here is a picture from my office to demonstrate:

The Verdict

OS X multiple monitor support is strong. I actually like the way it handles it better than in Windows XP. But, practically, it loses BIG TIME to Windows XP. Windows is so much better than OS X when it comes to ease of use in a multiple monitor environment.

To get around this, Apple needs to do one of the following:

1. Make the menu bar follow the active application.
2. Give an option to the user to embed the application menus inside the program menus.

#2 might be harder to implement because it could involve the cooperation of the developers of all applications for OS X. The top menu bar has been a staple of OS X for awhile now and it is hard to change. I understand that. But, #1 should be easier to implement. Until Apple does something to make this easier, I guess they’ll just have to continue to condition Mac lovers why this idiocy actually makes sense (some think so).

Until Apple grows a brain on this issue, leave it to a third party utility to help make things a little easier. The utility is called DejaMenu. It will allow you to set up a key combination that will duplicate the top menu bar in contextual style. So, if I am working with that application in that far left monitor, I can hit that key combination and I get the entire contents of my top menu bar (which is TWO SCREENS away, mind you) right at my current cursor position. Not as easy as Windows XP, but this makes it much easier.

So, in this match of Windows versus OS X, Windows wipes the floor with OS X and then spits on it. OS X is just plain harder to use when you have more than one monitor. And it is disappointing that users like myself have to outsmart the stupid design by using third-party add-ons, becoming kings of keyboard shortcuts, or speeding the mouse cursor up to light speed to flip across several screens.

This should be easier, Apple. There is so much smart design in OS X. Why not this?

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Multiple Monitors: Windows XP Versus OS X

Rich takes us step by step through hardware and software methods of sharing your screen with two monitors. This is video 1 of 2.

Post from: PCMech. Helping Normal People Get Their Geek On And Live The Digital Lifestyle.

Setting Up Dual Screens 1 of 2