Mac OS X 10.3.4 or earlier allows for a maximum desktop display width of approximately 4000 pixels across all active displays. You would not usually encounter this limit unless you had three or more displays with one using a resolution width greater than 1280.
You may set a cumulative width greater than that, but you cannot place icons on the desktop outside of this 4000-pixel width. Icons dragged to this area will snap back to their original location.
Desktop pictures can fill the entire visible width.
Additional information
These sample configurations are within the approximately 4000-pixel limit. Not all Mac OS X-compatible computers allow for the use of each configuration.
- Two displays, each set to a width of 1920 pixels.
- Three displays, each set to a width of 1280 pixels.
- Three displays, two set to a width of 1152 pixels and the third set to a width of 1600 pixels.
- Four displays, two set to a width of 1152 pixels and two set to a width of 832 pixels.