Finally fully understand the intricacies multihead in OS X. To "curves" solutions were not the most... just unusual. Experience of similar actions in Windows XP is not absolutely useful :)
Additional display usually immediately connected and properly recognized. I have a 2007 Dell instantly identify and even picked up a single color profile, XP is quite long tupil, but oh well ...
An auxiliary display may either be an extension of desktop or duplicate the contents of the main display. To switch modes, you can use System Preferences> Monitors> Location, check "Sync monitors."
A good solution would be to conclude an additional element in menbar, it can be done by check "Show displays in menu bar" first tab "Monitor". Incidentally, in the synchronization menu for some reason called "Replay." Using the same menu, you can change on the fly resolution monitors, although the LCD era is maloaktualno.
The mutual arrangement of the monitors can be configured in the "location". There is already possible izgolyatsya as you like: at least near them to arrange, even diagonally, though a column. The most pressing is, I think, the ability to swap the primary and secondary displays, in order to reduce confusion when switching.
As I once wrote, Spaces, Exposé and other pleasures of working perfectly with two monitors, although the collected interface elements will be only "primary" display.
About Interface tell apart. On Windows, in my memory, it is possible to stretch the items on the desktop to multiple monitors, but here it is not so simple. Posuti have to use the same monitor as the "primary" and new windows, Dock, menu bar and essential icons will be placed on it, and the second display will be used as a "warehouse windows. "
Change roles monitors by dragging the tab "Location" gray-striped menyubar from one display to the other, which will lead to "move" the other elements of the interface. Honestly, for me, this decision was quite surprising and not too obvious, including I hope someone from the readers it will save much time and nerves.
Think different!