Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that drives a first display and a second display with a higher pixel density than the first display from a computer system. During operation, the system provides a set of backing stores for windows in the computer system. Next, the system enables a first set of clients to draw to the backing stores using a virtual coordinate system. Finally, the system uses the backing stores to drive the first and second displays so that a given distance in the virtual coordinate system is substantially the same size on the first and second displays.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that drives a first display and a second display with a higher pixel density than the first display from a computer system. During operation, the system provides a set of backing stores for windows in the computer system. Next, the system enables a first set of clients to draw to the backing stores using a virtual coordinate system. Finally, the system uses the backing stores to drive the first and second displays so that a given distance in the virtual coordinate system is substantially the same size on the first and second displays.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that configures a computer system to switch between two graphics-processing units (GPUs). During operation, the system receives a request to switch from using a first GPU to using a second GPU to drive the display. In response to this request, the system executes a user thread that copies pixel values from a first framebuffer for the first GPU to a second framebuffer for the second GPU. Next, the user thread initiates a switch from the first framebuffer to the second framebuffer as a signal source for driving the display. Finally, the user thread sends an asynchronous notification of the switch to one or more applications, wherein the asynchronous notification allows the applications to transition from rendering graphics using the first GPU to rendering graphics using the second GPU.

Abstract: A receiver front end is provided capable of receiving electromagnetic wave signals having frequencies in the range of substantially 35 GHz to substantially 40 GHz, and having a gain of substantially 24 dB or above and a noise figure of substantially 4 dB or below, and comprising one or more multifunction monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs). The receiver front end preferably has a noise figure of substantially 4 dB or below over an output signal frequency range of substantially 1 to 10 GHz, and a size in the region of 30 mm2 or less. The reveiver front end may comprise a receiver MMIC, and a doubler/buffer amplifier MMIC. The receiver MMIC may comprise a low noise amplifier (3), a mixer (5), a filter (4) and an intermediate frequency amplifier (6).