Tuesday, March 03, 2009

DisplayFusion 3.0 Manages Everything Across Multi-Monitor Setups [Downloads]

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/CjVHkNz5ws8/displayfusion-30-manages-everything-across-multi+monitor-setups

If you're looking to manage windows and wallpapers on multiple monitors, it's tough to go wrong with the reasonably priced, and recently updated, DisplayFusion.

We've sung praises for the excellent multi-monitor tool DisplayFusion before, for it's ability customize your dual monitors and help you make the most of your dual monitors. DisplayFusion has recently been revamped to include even more features including the ability to grab wallpapers from not only your computer and Flickr, but from the excellent wallpaper collection at Vladstudio—a popular wallpaper site based on responses to where you found your favorite multi-monitor wallpaper.

While the addition of new resources for new wallpaper is great, it isn't nearly as newsworthy as the addition of multi-monitor windows management. Like previously reviewed UltraMon, DisplayFusion now has the ability to span your taskbar across all of your monitors. You can switch windows between your monitors using hotkeys or by clicking on the title bar of the window with the middle mouse button. There is one small hiccup with the window management tool, though: if you're using multiple monitors, it doesn't allow you to select which monitor the window will move to like UltraMon does. Using the hotkey or middle mouse button sends the window to the next monitor in the sequence as Windows sees them. As you can see in the screen shot up top, my monitors are arranged in a 2-1-3 pattern, so to move a window from the center monitor to the far right one! require s two clicks. Not a deal breaker by any means, and not even an issue if you only have two monitors, but something to keep if you're sporting three or more monitors.

Here's a look at some of DisplayFusion 3.0's features and abilities (click for larger images):





If you can tolerate the loss of some of the tweaks available in UltraMon, like the multi-monitor screensaver tool, DisplayFusion costs less than half of UltraMon's $40 price at $16—technically $15.53, based on today's U.S./Canada currency exchange. I've used both over the last year with dual, and then triple, monitors and, dollar for dollar, DisplayFusion is a great value. The day DisplayFusion adds a handy titlebar button for tossing wi! ndows fr om one monitor to another, I'll stop using the two applications side by side and use DisplayFusion exclusively.

DisplayFusion has a limited-functionality free edition, and you can request a 30-day trial license to test out the full package before purchase. DisplayFusion is $16 for a lifetime license and is Windows only.

DisplayFusion 3.0 [Binary Fortress]