hmmm.. THIS is how dual monitors work on macs?

http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=462&d=1090400858

If the top bar (or whatever it's called) is only available on the left monitor, does that mean every time you want to choose "file", "edit" or any other program-specific options for an app, you have to go back to your left monitor?

Please tell me that's not the way it is !!

No, you can also drag the tools bar to the screen that you've dragged the application screen to. Go to Displays, and drag the tool bar to the preferred window.

You mean like have a tools bar for each monitor?

Note: I didn't switch yet. Still on windows.

There's only one menu bar, and it stays where you put it. Arrange your displays right, with the top corners touching, and it's always a flick of the wrist to get over to it.

or remember the keyboard shortcuts??

That's not really practical. I'm kinda disappointed at this.

Hmm, it's never really bothered me and I use dual monitors almost exclusively...

Most apps are designed so you don't really need the menu bars that much and most Macintosh apps that have a lot of options that you'd typically hide in a menu are available in floating "inspector" windows instead (see iWork / Office / Photoshop).

And as others have said: if it's something you need often you can usually access it via a logical keyboard shortcut (e.g. Command+q to quit, Command+W to close a window etc).

you can choose which monitor you want the bar on but its only ever on one. I have found this a bit of a pain now and again but most of the main work im doing i use on my primary screen anyway. Its a small annoyance to pay for all the advantages you get with a mac over windows i wouldn't let it put you off.

Yep. While it doesn't really bother me, it would have been nice to have this option of menubar's on both the monitors...

I guess I'll have to depend on integrated toolbars for apps on my secondary monitor then. *sigh*

Thanks guys.

Actually, if you have leopard, just hit Command+Shift+/ (that's actually Command+?) type in your command (for instance "Print"), and just hit enter (notice that on hovering over "Print" the menu will flyout with an arrow pointing to it).

I'm explaining this horribly, but most people don't realise that the new help search bar is really useful if you don't know where menu items are and such.

I just started running dual monitors off of my 24 inch imac... previous gen. I'm using a Dell 24 inch widescreen. When I first start up, or awake from sleep, both monitors are equally bright, but it seems like as the day progresses, then dell seems to fade and get darker. Any ideas on why? Brightness is turned up to 100 percent on it.