Microsoft Talks Multi-Monitor Support in Windows 8

If you're sitting in front of a computer all day long, it's not at all unlikely that you're working with multiple monitors. Microsoft announced that it's tweaked the multi-monitor support in Windows 8 to better take care of those of us that just can't work with a single display.

"From the very first public release and demonstrations of Windows 8 we have shown improvements over Windows 7 for multi-monitor scenarios and have shown how we support new Metro style apps within a multi-monitor environment," said Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky "We have continued to develop and refine features for multiple monitors and have significantly enhanced the experience as we move to our next milestone, the Release Preview."

With Windows 8, Microsoft is aiming to make the multi-monitor desktop a more personal experience and including the ability to customize desktop backgrounds, adding a different background for each monitor or stretch one image over multiple monitors. You'll also be able to run multi-monitor slide shows.

Windows 8 users will also be able to customize taskbar settings. For example, you can decide if you want to show taskbar buttons on all taskbars, just the taskbar where the window is open, or both the main taskbar and the taskbar where the window is open.

Sinofsky writes that the Release Preview will also contain some changes that Consumer Preview users won't have seen. First, Microsoft is making all corners and edges alive on all monitors and you'll be able to bring up Start, the charms, and app switching from any corner of any monitor.

Microsoft is also introducing and improved model for shared edges that makes it easier to target UI along a shared edge. This means no more slowing down to a snail's pace when approaching a shared edge for fear you'll overshoot and accidentally end up on another display. In addition to improvements to shared edges, there's also 'real corners,' which will provide 6-pixel high barriers that catch the mouse when you're trying to target corners.

If you missed out on yesterday's story on Windows 8 ditching Aero, you can click through and read it here.

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