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aso3

HTPC Brought My Buddy Back to the Battlefield

I call him Tux.  He's a PC "expert".  We fought side-by-side in our battles with xfree88 3.3 under Debian Potato during our college days.  But just years ago, he stopped using linux cold-turkey and became a die-hard Windows fanatic.

He has built numerous PC's and earned money on the sides doing so or fixing other people's PC.  He talks alot, brags alot about his Vista and MCE with conviction...until one day when he got himself a new 52" LCD HDTV and decided to go dual-monitor.

He called me and asked about dual-monitor setups.  Judging by the tone of his voice, I could already sense something didn't go right.  "Sure!" as I acknowledged to help him out, but I wondered "why me?"  He knows I don't own a Vista.

Turns out non-issue at all.  He was running dual-monitor on "extended" mode and just didn't like what was happening.  He mumbled "If linux can do it, why can't Vista?", referring to my MythTV setup in dual-monitor mode, NewEgg'ing on my primary monitor while watching TV on a 21" Vizio HDTV secondary.

He could launch MCE at the bigscreen but coudn't get the mouse pointer back to the primary monitor.  I told him "Tux, if you surf Vista forums right now, you'll find out it's a minor issue.  MCE jails your mouse, but you're supposed to use your MCE remote control!".  He didn't have one.  He built the system himself.  Anyway, he showed me he can mouse back to the primary monitor if MCE is running windowed-mode, so I asked "What's wrong with that?" He frustratedly answered "won't do justice" to his LCD bigscreen".  Oh well...

"How about dual-monitor in clone-mode?".  He did not like it either.  He's sold to dual-monitor in extended display but wants the primary screen back.  "Well, Tux" I said, "Hasta la Vista...Go Linux!"

Now he's back, tinkering with his new toy happily ever after, and renamed his PC "Tux II".

Gnome dual-monitor startup

A typical Gnome Startup.

mythTV started 

MythTV started, Eggxpert forum on the other.

compiz 

Watching news and playing with Compiz on the other.

tux2_01 

Tux's Bigscreen on linux.

tux2_02 

Tux II in action, 1920x1080, native mode (no expansion)

 

Published Thursday, April 03, 2008 6:53 PM by aso3

Comments

 

root said:

LOL @ "Hasta la Vista"

Great pix! Glad to see another converted.

Yes

April 3, 2008 9:23 PM
 

aso3 said:

thanks, root.  I wonder how many other success stories out there?

April 4, 2008 12:43 PM
 

Blog Picks said:

HTPC Brought My Buddy Back to the Battlefield Dual-monitor setup under Linux and Vista Created by aso3

April 8, 2008 1:23 AM
 

Fizzter said:

It's a shame he won't be able to play any games on that big screen.

There's some pretty nice Linux-based options for Media PCs out there, I'll concur.  Of course, on the flip side, I have had no issues with several of the dual-monitor setups I've used with Windows.

And I'll get flamed for this one, but please please please spell-check your articles before posting. :)

April 8, 2008 10:02 AM
 

PROACEX1 said:

Lol, I agree, spell check should practically be required before posting...

Anywho, he can game with a dual-monitor setup, depending upon his GPU and system in general...Even though he may have to turn down the resolution or limit himself to playing on only one monitor when he wants to play...

Great pics, and a great blog! :D

Respectfully,

PROACEX1

April 8, 2008 2:10 PM
 

aso3 said:

Thanks!  Comments are always welcome.  I agree, should have done some proofreading.  XFree88?

Games?  He's got his system set up as dual-boot for that purpose and plays games on the big screen.  His primary monitor is the launcher (ext mode).  MCE?  I think he is still trying...

Latest: He's really back and has done more -- he is using MythTV to watch his new AT&T Uverse package.

April 9, 2008 5:40 AM
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