Multiple Monitor Software for Windows 7

DisplayFusion works with Windows 7.

Features list from its website:

• Advanced Multi-Monitor Taskbar support
• Use a different desktop wallpaper image on each monitor
• Use a desktop wallpaper image that spans all monitors
• Randomly change your desktop wallpaper using local images or images from Flickr
• Drag or middle-click the taskbar of maximized windows to move them to other screens
• Auto-snap windows to the edge of your monitor
• Integrated Flickr.com image search & download
• Integrated Vladstudio.com image search & download
• Manage application windows with fully customizable hotkeys:

With this list of shortcuts, maybe just maybe we don't need multi-monitor software.

Windows 7 Keyboard Shortcuts

• Win + Spacebar Aero desktop peek, just like that small rectangle at the right bottom corner next to the time display.
• Win + Left Arrow toggle docking to half the screen starting by the left half
• Win + Right Arrow toggle docking to half the screen starting by the right half
• Win + Shift + Left Arrow move the window one monitor left in a multi-monitor display
• Win + Shift + Right Arrow move the window one monitor right in a multi-monitor display
• Win + Up Arrow maximize
• Win + Down Arrow minimize
• Win + Home minimize/maximize all inactive windows
• Win + P show presentation mode projector options
• Win + G show desktop gadgets
• Win + Any number (1, 2, 3, .., 0) open the corresponding taskbar pinned program
• Ctrl + Click a pinned taskbar icon to cycle through the program’s open windows (e.g. IE)
• Ctrl + Shift + Click a pinned taskbar icon to run a new instance of the program as administrator
• Shift + Click a pinned taskbar icon to run a new instance of the program

Display Fusion works fine with Windows 7, in particular version 3.0.6 (released 2009-06-01).

They added glass and support for showing the app only on the monitor the windows is on (two key features to be usable on Windows 7).

Several Windows 7 features are still missing:

• Jump Lists. This is the most obvious one.
• Pinning the window (so there is a shortcut when app is closed)
• Button combining -- DF does not support "Always combine, hide labels" mode (default in Windows 7), but looks OK with no combining.
• Window previews -- not Windows 7 style, no close button, cannot show multiple apps / IE tabs at once.
• Color is a off -- native Windows 7 toolbar seems darker, active window is highlighted differently. On mouse over, Windows 7 highlights in different colors, DF does not.

This is not meant to be picky - Display Fusion works well and is remarkably polished, but more remains to be done for full Windows 7 support. Pro version (required to support multiple taskbars) is $20, and well worth the price.

Other apps to watch (no Windows 7 support now, but probably coming up) are:

• UltraMon $40
• MultiMon free for basic version, $30 for advanced