Wife trouble

Hi guys, new user here.

Recently bought myself a 27" imac, and by the way, loving it. However, I only managed to get permission from the wife after promising her that I would be able to reduce the screen size as per her request. What I mean is to have a "normal" sized screen with a black border, without having to scroll all over the place and without windows popping up outside these borders. She does not like the huge screen and I have managed to reduce all the windows temporarily but they revert back to normal size on re start. I'm not sure if I am explaining myself very well but I basically want to know how I can effectively have a say 18" screen on a 27" monitor?
I'm thinking this may not be possible but any help would be gratefully received.
Also, while I'm on, is it possible to set up applications on different accounts that effectively operate as a single application. For example, when I set up Plex to view all my DVD files on my account, when I viewed it on the missus account, I had to do it all over again. Obviously I didn't bother as it's not worth the hassle when she can do it on my account but the same still applies on iphoto and aperture and it is a bit of an aggravation to have to do it all twice, or to have to log out & back in again.

Thanks again

Gary

Why not just put the monitor at a lower resolution, thus decreasing the distance that she will have to scroll while continuing to fill the screen?

Turn up tracking speed on mouse. way up.
Then learn to work that way. There is no way to scale up the interface and lower monitor resolutions is a horrid "solution" to the problem.
1st thing I do with a new machine/setup is turn the tracking all the way up. The acceleration apple uses (unlike a PC) makes the high tracking speed very usable.

Install a keyboard tray. Push the monitor as far back on the desk as possible.

If that fails, have her use binoculars, backwards.

You have a mini-display port. I guess you could always hookup a second smaller monitor.

Razormac said:

You have a mini-display port. I guess you could always hookup a second smaller monitor.

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A waste of that beautiful 27" iMac screen. Wouldn't that be akin to purchasing a Mac and only running Windows on it?

That would be a bit like buying a luxury car, then cutting and shutting it to be a mid size sedan

P.S. I wasn't taking a jab at you, Razormac.

Looks like your wife is wearing your pants! Take them back!

MYmacROX said:

P.S. I wasn't taking a jab at you, Razormac.

Click to expand...

No offense taken. I gave up a long time ago trying to understand MY wife's likes and dislikes. Nor does she try to understand mine.
Just trying to provide some viable alternative . . . Though, personally I would vote for sitting farther from the screen or just accepting and reveling in that glorious 27" monitor.

Fodge said:

Turn up tracking speed on mouse. way up.
Then learn to work that way. There is no way to scale up the interface and lower monitor resolutions is a horrid "solution" to the problem.
1st thing I do with a new machine/setup is turn the tracking all the way up. The acceleration apple uses (unlike a PC) makes the high tracking speed very usable.

Click to expand...

I didn't say it was ideal, but telling the guy, "why would you want to do that? shut up and learn to live with it," doesn't really solve the problem.

Yeah thanks for the tips guys, but if I tell her to just move the screen back I won't get laid for a month. The resolution thing I have tried but it's not a great solution, and I have already told her it's like buying a $2000 BBQ and using it to make cheese on toast. But thats women for you, what can you do.
Any advice on the application stuff I asked about??

Thanks

Gary

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Razormac said:

You have a mini-display port. I guess you could always hookup a second smaller monitor.

Click to expand...

Now that could work! Would the screen automatically shrink to fit the smaller screen or would it be the 27" display on the smaller screen, having to scroll etc?

Cheers

Gary

I'm pretty sure it would shrink to fit the screen, when I had my Macbook Pro hooked up to a 23 inch monitor it enlarged the display to fit, so I imagine vice versa would be true also.

DarkestRitual said:

I didn't say it was ideal, but telling the guy, "why would you want to do that? shut up and learn to live with it," doesn't really solve the problem.

Click to expand...

Well, I never said that. You're taking what I said personally (bad idea on the internet).
Learning to use the mouse at higher tracking speeds is a real solution to navigating a big monitor. Lower screen resolutions are not only ugly but can cause severe eye strain. I said what I said to try to help.

Jack06 said:

I'm pretty sure it would shrink to fit the screen, when I had my Macbook Pro hooked up to a 23 inch monitor it enlarged the display to fit, so I imagine vice versa would be true also.

Click to expand...

I agree. I think the display automatically scales to whatever size monitor (larger or smaller) that is hooked to it.

Fodge said:

Well, I never said that. You're taking what I said personally (bad idea on the internet).
Learning to use the mouse at higher tracking speeds is a real solution to navigating a big monitor. Lower screen resolutions are not only ugly but can cause severe eye strain. I said what I said to try to help.

Click to expand...

fair enough

Believe it or not, I was trying to be helpful also. The thing is, the objection to using something better than what you're used to is illogical. Case in point: First time I turned on Spaces, my wife hated it. So I turned it off. I waited until she complained about her Desktop getting cluttered. I turned it back on. After an initial "What's going on?" she got the hang of it, and now finds it very helpful.

So, find something that just doesn't fit on the smaller screen, and plop it down on that big one. Eventually, she'll come around. Does she use Stickies??

Garyjampot said:

Yeah thanks for the tips guys, but if I tell her to just move the screen back I won't get laid for a month. The resolution thing I have tried but it's not a great solution, and I have already told her it's like buying a $2000 BBQ and using it to make cheese on toast. But thats women for you, what can you do.
Any advice on the application stuff I asked about??

Thanks

Gary

Click to expand...

What seems to work best in my house is for my wife to have her own computer. She prefers Windows anyway, so she leaves my Macs alone. Now my kids fight over the Macs.

Garyjampot said:

Hi guys, new user here.

Recently bought myself a 27" imac, and by the way, loving it. However, I only managed to get permission from the wife after promising her that I would be able to reduce the screen size as per her request.

Click to expand...

It seems to me that in order to get something, you made promises you weren't sure you'd be able to keep. Now, you're in trouble as keeping them is just not possible. Now that heart-desired gadget is being the Apple of Discord (pun intended).

What you really need to do is to admit this to her; and then tell her (shew her this thread even) that you've done all you've been able to try to keep your word, but that the solutions are just not feasible/practical.

Once you shew humility in admitting your mistake, she may shew humility and accept to learn something new and adapt to it.