M1 all around: Mac mini and iPad Pro drive developer’s workstation [Setups]

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The M1 Mac mini is paired with a 32-inch Samsung 4K monitor, a Keychron Q1 mechanical keyboard and a Logitech MX Master 3 mouse.
The M1 Mac mini is paired with a 32-inch Samsung 4K monitor, a Keychron Q1 mechanical keyboard and a Logitech MX Master 3 mouse.
Photo: PJ Flordeliz
Sometimes you see a workstation and you can pretty much tell by the gear what its owner does for a living. Today’s featured setup has an M1 Mac mini, a 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro and an Acer laptop, plus a custom mechanical keyboard, a network switch and a huge external hard drive. That led me to guess the person might be a IT staffer or a software developer. And I was right.

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Originally from Pasig, in the Philippines, Pj Flordeliz now lives with his family in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. He’s a senior software developer at ATB Financial. Pj’s post appears in Facebook’s Workspace Setup Addicts group.
He studied computer engineering in college, and he’s certainly well-equipped in the computer department.

Mac mini and iPad Pro, plus an Acer laptop

Pj describes himself as an Apple fanboy in his Facebook profile. His gear backs this up. He’s got an M1 Mac mini with 16GB of integrated memory and a 12.9-inch M1 iPad Pro — two powerful devices.

The fact that he went for 16GB of RAM rather than the stock 8GB for the mini suggests he means business. And, of course, he has the biggest and most powerful iPad and uses a Magic Keyboard with it.

His post doesn’t say anything about the Acer laptop, but it’s probably a serious, gaming-worthy one.

He runs his machines along with a 32-inch Samsung A800 4k monitor. It manages 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution running at a 60Hz refresh rate.

Keychron’s new Q1 custom mechanical keyboard

Even a beginner can customize the new Keychron Q1 mechanical keyboard.
Even a beginner can customize the new Keychron Q1 mechanical keyboard. If it’s not sold out. Which it is.
Photo: Keychron

Pj’s also not hurting in the input devices department. He’s got the ever-popular, customizable Logitech MX Master 3 for Mac. It lets him easily switch between his Macs and his PC.

Along with the Logi mouse, Pj rocks an extremely popular custom mechanical keyboard, the premium, all-metal Keychron Q1. As the website notes, every version of the 75% layout keeb is sold out.

Pj’s Q1 is fully assembled. You can order it without keycaps and switches if you want to do your own customizing, beyond the choices Keychron offers. Pj’s keyboard, in the Carbon Black color, features Gateron Phantom Brown switches. It comes with sound-dampening foam built in plus a system toggle switch for moving back and forth between PC and Mac.

I, for one, am jealous I can’t buy the Q1 right now. I’ve been thinking about switching to a mechanical keyboard. The Q1 looks like a great one to get, if only it were gettable.

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Computers:

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Audio:

If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to info+setups@cultofmac.com. Please provide a detailed list of your equipment. Tell us what you like or dislike about your setup, and fill us in on any special touches or challenges.

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