No need to overthink it (or overpay for it) [Setups]

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A solid M1 MacBook Air and widescreen setup gets things done.
A solid M1 MacBook Air and widescreen setup gets things done.
Photo: floridatastic@Reddit.com

Redditor floridatastic, who probably dwells in The Sunshine State, said they spent a while as a “serial lurker” on the macsetups subreddit. But after rebuilding a home workstation centered on an M1 MacBook Air, the time came to to take the gear public.

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Actually, floridatastic put it this way: “I recently was presented the opportunity to rebuild my home workstation.” One wonders about the fortunate circumstance that presented the opportunity. Inheritance? Lottery winnings? Boat sale?

No need to overthink it: cool, functional and non-bank-breaking

In any case, floridatastic’s setup is cool and functional without trying too hard or costing too terribly much.

The workstation runs on a 2021 M1 MacBook Air and a late-model iPad Air. A Vari standing desk holds most of the equipment up off what looks like a classic teacher’s desk and allows floridatastic to stand or sit.  The desk looks like a wooden tabletop sitting on two filing cabinets.

A Vari stood is tucked under the desk, suggesting that standing mode is often in play.

Solid widescreen display

The MacBook sits in clamshell mode on a slot stand just behind the monitor used as a main display. It’s a 34-inch LG 34WL500-B IPS LED UltraWide FreeSync Monitor.

That’s a good bang-for-the-buck widescreen. For between $300 and $350, it has 256o x 1080 pixel resolution, a 75 Hz refresh rate and HDR support with a couple of HDMI inputs, among other features.

Logitech and Keychron

Two of the mouse and keyboard names we see most often with setups when people move away from Apple’s Magic peripherals, are Logitech and Keychron.

Sure enough, floridatastic is happily rocking a Logitech MX Master Mouse and a Keychron C2 Mechanical Keyboard.

The AV department

Adding to the setup’s audio-visual delights, floridatastic has a pair of Presonus Eris E3.5 studio monitors situated on either side of the standing desk. They feature 3.5-inch drivers and feature acoustic tuning, an unusual premium feature at their price point. It lets you adjust the sound to the room.

An Emeet C960 1080p Web Camera sits on top of the monitor. It features two microphones for clear calls and a 90-degree view.

Those AV elements could help ensure video calls about future boat sales go smoothly.

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