Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Microsoft introduces Windows 10 X for dual-screen devices

techcrunch.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

271–280 of 301 posts

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows 10 X for dual-screen devices

#271

Post by michaelmrose »

tanr54ok wrote: post #248
aidenn0 wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is not true for several reasons: 1) Software screen switching is not instantaneous 2) Moving your head is lower friction than pressing a button (and more likely a key chord) 3) Humans have very good spatial awareness and multiple screens have this affordance that a button would not.

1) False. Software screen switching is easily instantaneous. If you literally have two front buffers which, you must for a dual screen setup... there’s no reason you couldn’t flip between them at the refresh rate of your monitor (which is ridiculous but doable). Workspace switchers that run on shitty old X can be and many are effectively instantaneous. Not sure about Windows, but I assume something exists. There’s mo…

How come in people have been shown to be more productive with dual screens?

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows 10 X for dual-screen devices

#272

Post by sundvor »

shaklee3 wrote: post #270
sundvor wrote: post #269

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's an amazing looking laptop. Especially when WSL2 is out ~next year, that extra screen above the keyboard would be amazing for displaying eg Terminal - with VSCode or Studio in the main screen. So many options. The top model is not afraid of its price point, sadly, but it sure is a Hero configuration.

WSL is out, and you can get installation instructions here: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/wsl2-install

Cheers. I'm using WSL1 now, but am getting too old to join the Insider / Fast rings. Have done my fair share of Windows OS beta testing over the decades, starting with Win95. :)

As we're sharing links, this was a great write up: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/commandline/announcing-wsl-2/

Can't wait for it to roll out officially with 20H1.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows 10 X for dual-screen devices

#273

Post by puranjay »

asenna wrote: post #72

For people saying dual screen is a gimmick, have you not wanted to replicate multi-screen setup on your laptop (while traveling or when not on your desktop)? Power users have always wanted more screen real estate! I've been eyeing the Asus Zenbook Pro Duo[1] ever since they've been announced (currently using a Macbook Pro 2015). I usually carry around an Asus portable second screen for my laptop in my backpack and th…

Multiple windows is crucial for my work, but every time I've used them, I've also had access to a standard sized keyboard.

I can't imagine doing a lot of things without a keyboard that require multiple screens

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows 10 X for dual-screen devices

#274

Post by puranjay »

augustl wrote: post #141
dmix wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm happy to see that Asus managed to find a way to keep the Escape key even while taking up way more space than Touchbar. Apple has no excuse. Still I'd personally rather use efficient tiling software + tabbing between spaces than have to look down at distractions. I'm amazed no major OS developer has tried to deliver this as an advanced mode. It's the type of thing that would benefit from direct OS integration. Mos…

I've never been more happy with a desktop environment than when I used i3. The sloppy window management in macOS combined with the scarce selection of laptops (of which none are really good in my opinion) has led me to try win10 as my development environment. i3-like on Windows would have been great!

Windows management in macOS is downright awful and has been that way for years.

It's come to a point where all serious productivity work I do is done on my Windows computer.

I've also recently ventured into building my own PC and realized how much power you can get for peanuts with the right configuration. My last Ryzen 3700x build is faster than any Mac I've ever owned and costs 1/3rd.

Between all this and the horrible butterfly keyboard, I might be off the Apple train for good

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows 10 X for dual-screen devices

#276

Post by jon-wood »

hug wrote: post #239
rbanffy wrote: post #230

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Angular size is key. When I'm on my desk I have multiple screens that cover about twice as much as my laptop when I'm working away from my desk. Since the screen is closer, I can increase it's density and then I have almost as much real estate as on my desk. Not sold on this reasoning.

Attaching a second monitor doesn't suddenly make your main display useless. One of the things I completely fail to understand is why most people I work with close their laptop displays when docked to secondary monitors. I have a 34" 3440x1440 ultrawide monitor at home on my desk, and I use that plus my Macbook's display. At work, I use 24x 24" 1440p monitors, and I use thoes plus my Surface Pro's 12" display. When I'…

I’m trying to work out whether that 24x monitors is a typo, and if not what you’d use them all for. I’m a huge proponent of multiple displays but anytime I use more than three the mental overhead of trying to remember which display something is on (or even finding something for every display) becomes to much.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows 10 X for dual-screen devices

#277

Post by pbhjpbhj »

emilfihlman wrote: post #210
pbhjpbhj wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I just need Plasma-like workspaces (apps in a layout that you can switch to for different work-focuses) and "always on top" (which IIRC used to be in MS Windows) ... any suggestions?

Windows has "always on top" feature, but not all software uses it.

In Win10? It's not in the right-click menu from the application bar for Office 2016 products, for example, nor for Chrome/IE. I've used it previously, where did they hide it and why isn't it in MS Office?

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows 10 X for dual-screen devices

#278

Post by basq »

puranjay wrote: post #274
augustl wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've never been more happy with a desktop environment than when I used i3. The sloppy window management in macOS combined with the scarce selection of laptops (of which none are really good in my opinion) has led me to try win10 as my development environment. i3-like on Windows would have been great!

Windows management in macOS is downright awful and has been that way for years. It's come to a point where all serious productivity work I do is done on my Windows computer. I've also recently ventured into building my own PC and realized how much power you can get for peanuts with the right configuration. My last Ryzen 3700x build is faster than any Mac I've ever owned and costs 1/3rd. Between all this and the horri…

Amusing because PC user have been saying this for years and years and years.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows 10 X for dual-screen devices

#279

Post by chrisseaton »

viridian wrote: post #231
chrisseaton wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 999 relies on the two screens for the actual purposes of constructing the narrative(s), as well as for the big reveal at the end What does it do with two screens that couldn’t be done with one screen divided into two halves?

The screen being arbitrarily divided into two halves would give away a huge plot element pretty quickly, if you are paying attention, as well as some smaller stuff. You aren't actually controlling Junpei, as you are led to believe for the entire game, at least, not really. You are actually controlling a girl in the past named Akane, who is seeing the world through Junpei's eyes. The trick is that Akane's observations…

I still don’t get it - the two screens are still next to each other right? So what’s the difference between two screens next to each other, and two regions of the same screen? I don’t understand how the effect is any different.

Re: Microsoft introduces Windows 10 X for dual-screen devices

#280

Post by tonyedgecombe »

tasogare wrote: post #123
Analemma_ wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a potential difference though: with the Surface, Microsoft only needed to iterate on the hardware, which it could do by itself. My concern with Windows 10X is that it requires buy-in from developers to reach its full potential, and that has been lacking. To be blunt, UWP attracted basically no developer attention (which is a shame, it was a pretty good development environment). Unless they figure out how to…

> UWP attracted basically no developer attention (which is a shame, it was a pretty good development environment). This is not a shame, this is the logical consequence of all to lies told to the Windows Phone community, which could have bootstrapped UWP but was totally demotivated when UWP was released. But the main reason is the stupid decision to make UWP available only on Windows 10, at a time where Win7 had the h…

Yes, it made no sense to adopt UWP when Windows 7 was still so prevalent. I'm still supporting it at least until next year, possibly beyond then.

You also have to wonder at their commitment, WPF wasn't that old when they started dicking about with Metro. WPF didn't even feel finished. Why invest huge amounts of time and effort in a platform you don't think they have a long term commitment to.

Post reply on HN