poll People with really large screens: Do you use your windows maximized?

[Glassed Silver]

Heya guys!

I used to maximize every window (well, those that make some sense maximizing, obviously not "paint palettes" etc :p)

Nowadays, I have a 27" screen and browsing Neowin at half the screen width is plenty already. :laugh:

So what do you guys do?

Glassed Silver:mac

[Gerowen]

I don't have an enormous screen, but I usually only size the windows big enough to fit all of the content. For example if I'm reading a text file, I size the window down as small as it will go without having to scroll left or right to view all of the document.

[nekkidtruth]

Most of my windows get maximized and I Alt-Tab frequently. Although I have 2 monitors, one has Netflix maximized pretty much all the time.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

I don't maximise application windows. Ever.

[Biotoxic_hazard_835]

I upgraded my system to two 24" monitors and i maximize my browser and if I am watching a movie or music video I maximize WMP. I also use Motorola CPS Software (for programming Motorola two-way radios) which I also maximize for ease of use. Other than that I keep everything minimized unless I need it.

[zhangm Supervisor]

I maximize Excel (sometimes) and any virtual machines/remote machines.

[fobban]

Only time i maximize is when watching a movie.

This is also why Metro on Windows 8 sucks so much, since it practically forces you to run the apps maximized.

[Blackhearted]

On my 23" screen i pretty much only maximize the web browser and the windows photo viewer program. Aside from those 2 things i rarely maximize anything.

[Krome]

I don't prefer to maximize application windows as it wreck my versatile flow between tasks. However, I do size "productivity" or certain application that lack the necessary workspace environment. Photoshop and Microsoft Expression Web seems to have very small workspace inside it's application. But still they are not max. I sometimes prefer my game in full-window mode, but sometimes in windowed mode.

[+DKAngel Subscriber²]

depends on what im doing

[remixedcat]

depends on what im doing

This...

I got dual displays 23 in Samsung Syncmaster P2350 @ 1920x1080 and 19 in LG Flatron W1952TQ @ 1440x900

My media player mostly on screen 2 becuase I wanna see the playlist and the info. It's J-River Media Jukebox, a very powerful player.

Browser if I am doing a lot of reading and on sites that use more horiz. space. Or sites that demand more full on attention.

[Squirrelington]

(1) 42" 1920x1080 and (2) 24" 1920x1200 (Dual-monitor)

Firefox (Maximized: Screen 2)

Windows Media Player (Music) (Maximized: Screen 2)

VLC (Videos) (Maximized: Screen 1)

Windows Explorer (Unmaximized: Screen 2)

Visual Studio 2010 (Maximized: Screen 1)

Microsoft SQL Management Studio 2008 R2 (Maximized: Screen 1)

Various Games (Fullscreen Windowed (No Border): Screen 1)

[tuckeratlarge]

I got myself a 24" sammy 1920x1080 and I have everything I can maximised, because I can't stand scrolling sideways. The exceptions are Winamp, TomTom Home, Avast, Unzbin, AVS Video Converter, Calculator and Notepad.

[deactivated_]

When I ran dual or triple monitor 4:3 ratio, almost everything was used maximized. However, now that I am running dual 24" widescreen monitors it's a mixed bag of what gets maximized. Especially with the Windows 7 Win-Left, Win-Right happy goodness that has changed my productivity forever.

[nw2001]

I maximize browsers, media players, games, virtual machines, ps and stuff like that. Only stuff that doesnt get maximized is chat screens. (Steam, I use gtalk in browser or via the new chat extension for chrome.)

Since I use a 46 inch tv and a laptop monitor it's pretty easy to manage and tons of small screens don't work well on a tv. (I'm sitting with in 3 feet of the tv, probably horrid for my eyes but I can read most things very well and for single player games it works better. I also use the TV for browsing. Multiplayer games like LoL or anything too reliant on skill I pop on the laptop monitor just because it feels more responsive.) I freaking hate alt tabbing and I hate using windows explorer. (Running w8 and even with ribbon the explorer is a pain to manage anything with.)

[derkim]

[x]Nothing gets maximized. Nothing!

But I can't choose it alone.

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

The only thing i generally maximize is Photoshop, I usually have 1/3 of the screen at the right for instant messaging chats, Windows 7's sticky notes and sometimes a video playing in a small window.

The other 2/3 of the screen will usually have the web browser, word, or any other application i'm using open in.

This is on a 24" screen @ 1920x1200.

[BeerFan]

I have a 30" HP Monitor. I NEVER maximize any windows.

You need to add an option for None in the second question. I can't vote as it is.

[Vice]

On my desktop system I use three 30" monitors. Each has a resolution of 2560x1600 (Known as XHD) combined the resolution is 7680x1600. That is 12.225 Million pixels. For comparison a 24" display is 2.304 Million pixels.

With that much screen real estate I do not find it beneficial to maximise any applications apart from Games.

It is not uncommon for me to have 5-6 virtual machines open and visible, 2 VNC sessions to my servers, 1 or 2 browser windows open (with multiple tabs in each) an IM conversation, email client, music or video player and some creative apps maybe Visual Studio or Programmers notepad or Photoshop and Illustrator.

I make great use of all my displays I've had them for years. I got my first 30" display back in 2008 and it really boosted my productivity. That was a 3007WFP-HC @ 2560x1600. At that time I had two 20" displays on either side of it (each 1680x1050) and I later replaced those with 30" displays.

Being able to visualise everything, being able to see the concept drawings for an application, the code powering it, all the assets for it and the app itself running makes it really easy to see the "full picture". If I were to full screen something I would be wasting literally 50% or more of the screen it is on as my resolution is just so big even having something filling only half of one screen is equal in pixels to the maximum resolution of some 17" and 20" panels.

[xendrome]

30" Dell LCD and a 24 inch on the other side, I run in windows so I can have more then one thing open, typically never maximized unless it's a game.

Another reason why Windows 8 ****es me off, I don't want metro apps taking up 30 inches of my screen that I can't window....

[spikey_richie]

24" HP monitor. Not huge, but bigger than average... Process Explorer, Firefox, Thunderbird, iTunes, Picasa, games & Windows Explorer maximised. Everything else (Defraggler, CCleaner, Winamp, Speccy, Holmes, Pidgin etc...) windowed.

[The Laughing Man]

Only in the middle.

[Glassed Silver]

Updated poll with "none" option.

Sorry, I thought a poll question that is multiple-choice was allowing you to skip it, too.

Glassed Silver:mac

[MFH]

Apart from VS and Virtual Machines I never see the point of maximizing a Window?

[muratoner]

i'm so used to having my browser maximized.Other than that things are mostly resized.