Dell

You’ll never guess what this user thinks sets Mac Studio apart [Setups]

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Mac Studio
Mac Studio has one of the nicest accessories of its kind a user has ever seen.
Photo: orglickman@reddit.com

The M1 Ultra Mac Studio set a new benchmark for computing power in a package smaller than Mac Pro when it came out in spring 2022. Today’s setup sparked discussion about the relative merits of the powerful desktop machine, with one user citing a surprising point of praise — the Mac Pro braided power cord!

Another user pares back to one great external display [Setups]

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Mac Studio setup with 32-inch Dell Dell G3223Q Gaming Monitor
This user chose one 32-inch Dell G3223Q Gaming Monitor over two external displays.
Photo: Sony-boy@Reddit.com

Trend alert: We’re seeing more computer setups cutting down from dual displays — or sometimes a few — to one external display. This is no scientific survey, but today’s setup looks like another example of several we’ve seen popping up on social media lately where a user wants to simplify and focus in that way.

And commenters compared the choice of display that remained — a Dell 4K gaming monitor — favorably to Studio Display.

Day or night, you can’t go wrong with stereo HomePods [Setups]

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Dual HomePod MacBook Pro setup
The daytime photograph shows the treasured HomePods clearly.
Photo: aleksiralda@Reddit.com

Paired for stereo sound, two full-size HomePod smart speakers — the original or second generation — are a thing of auditory beauty. And they don’t just sound great, they look good, too. Yet we don’t see paired HomePods much in computer setups (HomePod minis yes, the big ones, no).

Today’s MacBook Pro setup takes full advantage of Apple audio, however, and the user couldn’t be happier. Well, except with Siri, that is. Check out their setup’s cheerful day version (above) and moody night version (below).

User trades 4K display for a second MacBook Pro [Setups]

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Dual MacBook setup
This setup traded a vertical 32-inch display for an M2 Max MacBook Pro, among other changes.
Photo: MagneticMotion@Reddit.com

For the second time in as many weeks we’ve come across someone ditching a nice external display and keeping just one — and this time it’s to add a second powerful MacBook Pro used as both a computer and a secondary display. In fact, now it’s triple-display setup, but two of them are laptops on stands.

Dell ratchets up 5K-display competition with new curved 40-incher at CES

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Dell 40-inch curved 5K display
Dell's new 40-inch ultra-wide curved display packs 5K resolution and 5-star eye-comfort certification.
Photo: Dell

Dell introduced new 34-inch and 40-inch ultra-wide, curved, high-resolution monitors Thursday ahead of CES 2024 in Las Vegas, including a big 5K screen that ratchets up the competition against Studio Display and other smaller 5K screens. Dell’s new monitors go on sale in late February.

Both screens are certified for eye comfort, but the larger one is “the world’s first 40-inch 5K monitor certified for five-star eye comfort,” the company said.

This MacBook Pro workstation enjoyed a very merry Christmas [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup with dual monitors
Sometimes the holiday season turns a half-empty desk into a powerful computer setup.
Photo: TemporaryAd_4202@Reddit

Ah, the magic of Christmas. Even a grownup can get deliriously excited about unwrapping a rich haul of computer gear that turns a Charlie Brown Christmas tree of a setup into a powerful workstation that would intimidate Ebeneezer Scrooge.

Today’s user had a decent MacBook Pro and iPad Pro to begin with, but ended up with a proper, highly functional setup. And commenters had further suggestions for additions, too. Hey, the more the merrier!

Today in Apple history: Apple Store celebrates its millionth online customer

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The Apple Store proves that tech fans like buying things online!
Turns out that tech fans like buying things online!
Photo: Ste Smith/Maxime Raphael/Flickr CC

December 5: Today in Apple history: Apple Store celebrates millionth online sale December 5, 2002: Cupertino says it served its millionth unique customer in the Apple Store online, marking a significant milestone for the company. It is a benchmark worth celebrating for Apple, which launched its online store just five years earlier.

Reaching our 1 millionth customer is a major milestone, and is proof positive that our online shopping experience is second to none,” Tim Cook, Apple’s executive vice president of worldwide sales and operations at the time, said in a statement. “The Apple Store is a popular way for a growing number of consumers and businesses to buy Apple products, and with extensive build-to-order capabilities, easy 1-Click shopping and free shipping on orders, it’s never been easier to buy a Mac online.”

Flexible device and display mounts make this home office [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup with mounted devices and displays
Everything in this setup but the keyboard, wrist rest, mouse and desk mat is mounted.
Photo: SQU1DZ@Reddit.com

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If you’re not elevating your laptop, iPad and displays on mounts and arms, you’re limiting your computer setup. Today’s feature MacBook Pro and iPad setup illustrates the point well by putting those devices and dual displays on four separate mounts, some with moveable arms.

That makes all of those devices more flexible, and much easier to move around than they would be on stationary stands. It also frees up space on the desk.

Crucial dock connects new MacBook Pro to classic Cinema Display [Setups]

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Setup with MacBook Pro and Cinema Display.
The user connects a MacBook Pro and Cinema Display via dock, as the Mac mini mainly stays with the TV in the living room.
Photo: macindork@Reddit.com

One thing we love about Apple is the staying power of its beautiful displays. We see the Studio Display maker’s much older Cinema Displays and Thunderbolt Displays used in modern computer setups pretty regularly.

Today’s MacBook Pro setup recently added a docking station to charge the laptop while connecting it to a classic LED Cinema Display.

New home calls for new-and-improved workstation [Setups]

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Just a few years ago I worked on a laptop on whatever messy desk I found. Now I have dual-monitor M1 MacBook Pro setup with a standing desk and a proper office chair.
Just a few years ago I worked on a laptop on whatever messy desk I found. Now I have dual-monitor M1 MacBook Pro setup with a standing desk and a proper office chair.
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac

I moved to a new home over the weekend, and in it I’ve already built a new workstation. What better time to revamp things? Actually, it’s more like another stage in my computer setup’s herky-jerky evolution.

I went from just a PC laptop a few years ago to various iterations of a MacBook Pro workstation to my new rig, featuring dual monitors, a standing desk and a proper office chair for the first time in ages.

Finding the ‘perfect’ dock or KVM switch [Setups]

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This Mac mini user has a Dell laptop and wants to run them both with peripherals.
This Mac mini user has a Dell laptop and wants to run them both with peripherals.
Photo: Chrysothemis@Reddit.com

Anyone looking to run different peripherals with both Mac and PC might take a look at today’s setup advice-fest. The user runs a Mac mini with dual displays and typical Apple input devices, but wants to add a Dell laptop from work into the mix.

They got plenty of advice on doing just that with the right kind of dock or KVM switch, below.

When it’s time to swap MacBook Pro for Mac Studio [Setups]

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When you work in 3D, you need a lot of computing power. And four screens, apparently.
When you work in 3D, you need a lot of computing power. And four screens, apparently.
Photo: b19ddw@Reddit.com

Today’s featured setup sports a powerful M2 Ultra Mac Studio desktop computer and four screens, three of them with sparkling 4K resolution. But until recently it was an M2 Max MacBook Pro setup upgraded from an M1 MacBook Pro.

Why the switch to Mac Studio? Hey, sometimes you just need a more badass computer. Especially when you work in 3D rendering and you rarely take the laptop off its dock anyway.

Mac Studio drives wild 4-monitor formation with Bat-Signal [Setups]

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The Bat-Signal is displayed on a giant screen atop three other monitors in a Batman-themed computer setup.
Gotta love the Bat-Signal.
Photo: Rasputin_mad_monk@Reddit.com

Today’s featured Mac Studio setup found an interesting way to arrange its four displays — three little ones in a row and one huge one broadcasting the Bat-Signal on top.

With Batman undoubtedly on his way (OK, maybe it’s just the logo, not the actual signal), the workstation also boasts a 12.9-inch iPad Pro with Apple’s Smart Folio and a remarkably affordable mechanical keyboard for use with the desktop machine.

Powerful Mac Studio rig brings the symmetry [Setups]

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An M1 Ultra Mac Studio drives this setup.
An M1 Ultra Mac Studio drives this setup.
Photo: orglickman@Reddit.com

Computer-setup gawkers on social media love their symmetry. It’s really just human nature to prefer those clean lines and even spacing — you know, stopping short of full-blown obsessive compulsive disorder and blowing a gasket if one little cable appears out of place.

Today’s M1 Ultra Mac Studio workstation brings not only powerhouse computing, but a few tricks of the trade when it comes to creating that pleasing symmetry. And it packs an interesting device we don’t see very often.

See, not everyone hates Magic Mouse [Setups]

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A lot of people hate Magic Mouse. But commenters on this setup sang its praises.
A lot of people hate Magic Mouse. But commenters on this setup sang its praises.
Photo: N99Nassim@Reddit.com

Our travels online among computer setups show that a great many Apple users don’t choose Magic Mouse — and many even detest it. So they select popular products from Logitech and other makers. But some people, like graphic designers, passionately defend Apple’s sleek and slippery mouse, and today’s featured MacBook Pro-and-custom-PC setup is a testament to that. Long live Magic Mouse!

Super-clean MacBook Air setup makes good use of Sidecar [Setups]

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The MacBook Air could serve as a third screen, but it sounds like the user will stick it in a vertical stand instead.
The MacBook Air could serve as a third screen, but it sounds like the user will stick it in a vertical stand instead.
Photo: SeamustheAmos@Reddit.com

Who doesn’t love a clean, uncluttered computer setup? It doesn’t have to be “minimalist,” like it’s trying to impersonate a Zen rock garden, it just has to be simple and productive.

Today’s featured 15-inch M2 Pro MacBook Air and 11-inch M2 iPad Pro setup gets by quite nicely with one external monitor and the use of Sidecar.

Before and after photos show MacBook Pro rig’s subtle evolution [Setups]

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See if you can spot the differences between the setup in the photo above and the setup in the photo below.
See if you can spot the differences between the setup in the photo above and the setup in the photo below.
Photo: wrong24@Reddit.com

We love it when computer setup users show their work as they trudge toward home-office nirvana. Today’s featured MacBook Pro and iPad Pro setup does it in a subtle way, providing “before” and “after” photos showing incremental changes that improved the workstation.

You can see the before photograph below and the after shot above.

Today in Apple history: Apple reclaims top spot in education

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On this day in 1998, the world says
The easy-to-use iMac spurred Apple's return to dominance in schools.
Photo: Apple

July 9: Today in Apple history: Apple reclaims top spot in education July 9, 2001: Apple earns the title of No. 1 computer manufacturer in the education market, with twice as many machines in schools as runner-up Dell Computer.

It’s a big turnaround from a couple of years earlier, when Dell overtook Apple and Steve Jobs was accused of abandoning this important market.

Fun ‘overly complicated diagram’ lays out complex MacBook Pro rig [Setups]

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At a glance it doesn't look overly complex, but wait'll you see the diagram.
At a glance it doesn't look overly complex, but wait'll you see the diagram.
Photo: ReportoDownvoto@Reddit.com

Getting a complex computer setup just-so can be a daunting experience for even seasoned users. Maybe somebody should create a diagram or something? Well, someone did, making a highly capable MacBook Pro-and-PC setup with external display, storage, audio and more look even more complicated than it really is.

The sleekly executed diagram delighted viewers on social media. Check it out below.

Dell’s new 6K display costs $1,800 less than Pro Display XDR

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Dell's new 32-inch 6K display packs a lot of features for productivity.
Dell's new 32-inch 6K display packs a lot of features for productivity.
Photo: Dell

Dell, which first showed off its new UltraSharp 32 6K monitor at CES 2023 in January, started selling the well-equipped display Thursday for $3,199.99 — a solid $1,800 below the cost of Apple’s similar 6K Pro Display XDR ($4,999).

The new Dell has high resolution and plenty of features. But it’s not equivalent to Apple’s top display for a few reasons.

Mac mini drives 3 displays in wild winged formation [Setups]

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That's not a display configuration you see every day.
That's not a display configuration you see every day.

Just when you thought you’d seen every arrangement of displays known to computer setups, something comes along to surprise you. Today’s featured M2 Pro Mac mini setup puts a portrait-mode display at center and two landscape-mode displays sticking out like wings on either side of it. It’s kind of odd how rarely seen it actually is.

Another rarity is the user’s amazing assortment of audio components, including an unusually big “Schiit stack.”

‘Mac setup in a box’ is a dual-Mac Studio powerhouse [Setups]

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The cabinet on the right holds the computers and more.
The cabinet on the right holds the computers and more.
Photo: XTJ7@Reddit.com

We enjoy a lot of variety in our computer setups coverage, from the ultra-minimalist to the mega-maximalist. Today’s featured rig sports two pumped-up Mac Studios, two old Mac Pro “trash cans,” a gaming PC, dual displays and a tremendous array of audio gear.

It falls in the latter category, obviously (“mega”). The lengthy gear list below doesn’t even cover everything in the powerhouse workstation, but it covers all the key elements.

Dual-display outfit splits the keyboard and goes mouse-free [Setups]

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How do you navigate without a mouse?
How do you navigate without a mouse?
Photo: gdeLopata@Reddit.com

Do you dream of ditching your mouse? Maybe you have the wrong one. Or maybe you’re onto something, like the software developer who works sans rodent with today’s featured M2 MacBook Pro setup featuring dual external displays in different orientations.

Instead of a mouse for input, she relies on a radically split keyboard with a trackball, plus a macropad. See those and all of the other gear in the cool setup below.

3 loaded iMacs and a PC pump up 8-display workstation [Setups]

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Three of the displays are iMacs and five are Dell 4K monitors.
Three of the displays are iMacs and five are Dell 4K monitors.
Photo: Hoa Mai

In Monday’s featured computer setup we showcased four tall displays and mentioned we sometimes see six-display setups. But how about eight displays in one setup? That’s today’s outfit.

Hoa Mai, who works in post production on documentary films in Los Angeles, sent Cult of Mac his massive setup. It features three iMacs, a PC and five Dell 4K monitors. Talk about Mission Control.

3 Macs and KVM switch keep remote worker out of trouble [Setups]

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Three Macs and a KVM switch with a big external monitor can be the perfect solution.
Three Macs and a KVM switch with a big external monitor can be the perfect solution.
Photo: gregcoit@Reddit.com

Today’s featured computer setup employs three separate Macs — MacBook Pro, M1 MacBook Air and M1 Mac mini — connecting two of them to a big external monitor using a KVM docking station.

KVM switches are handy when you don’t want to switch cables from different computers using the same monitor and input devices. But there’s another reason the user, Greg Coit, chose the method.