A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. So today’s M1 Mac mini-driven computer setup, with eight smashing photos, must be roughly equivalent to 8,000 words. But instead of burying you in a horrible cascade of text, we’ll let the pictures tell most of the elegant rig’s story.
The newly updated setup has some exceedingly nice touches. Each of the photos below includes a little commentary.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
A story in pictures: A Mac mini-driven workstation
Redditor carrotcakeblack (“Carrot”) showed off all the pretty pictures in a post entitled, “This is pretty much my Reddit-scrolling corner.”
Carrot drives the setup with an M1 Mac mini tidily tucked away under the monitor riser. It connects to a 27-inch Dell U2719D CRT monitor. It features DisplayPort, HDMI and USB 3 ports for easy connectivity.
As you can see in the photos, Carrot’s a mechanical keyboard enthusiast. The one in use in the photos is a Zhou Lumos ergonomic keeb with an Alice layout. The one on the Ikea Skadis pegboard to the left is a Mode Design SixtyFive with scads of extra switches. She also uses a Logitech MX Master 2S wireless mouse.
The sound system is a set of Logitech MX Sound speakers. It got a bit of negative press about sound quality in the comments. But the comment also included a hack to improve sound quality.
“We’ve a very similar setup. I even have the same speakers, and quite frankly I’m not crazy about it,” said a commenter. “Very recently, I found out that there’s a setting in Apple Music that’ll significantly improve the sound quality of the speakers. From the app, go to Music > Preference > Playback. Hope this helps you as much as it helped me.”
The fix won’t be much use to Carrot, but it might help others.
“Agreed,” replied Carrot. “The speakers aren’t anything fantastic but they’re serviceable enough for me. I don’t use Apple Music though, so I won’t be able to use that hack.”
By the way, if you like that desktop wallpaper on the monitor, here’s where you can find it.
And with that, enjoy the photos and the links to all the items below. And you can see a previous iteration of Carrot’s setup here.
Image 1 (above): Carrot’s computer setup, newly updated in April 2022.
Image 2 M1 Mac mini
Photo: carrotcakeblack@reddit.com
“Entire setup runs on the Mac Mini,” Carrot said. “I’m always in love with just how clean it looks.”
Image 3: Xiaomi monitor light bar
Photo: carrotcakeblack@Reddit.com
“Perhaps the most underrated part of my desk, the Xiaomi light bar,” noted Carrot. “Comes with a wireless control puck too to alter its brightness and light temperature.”
Image 4: Ergonomic mechanical keyboard
Photo: carrotcakeblack@Reddit.com
“The pièce de résistance — a custom Alice-layout ergonomic keyboard, Zhou Lumos,” said Carrot.
Image 5: Nomad Base Station charger with iPhone
Photo: carrotcakeblack@Reddit.com
“Probably the only thing to survive through many of my setup’s evolutions, Nomad’s Base Station Stand has the most timeless design to it,” Carrot said.
Image 6: The inevitable Logitech MX Master wireless mouse
Photo: carrotcakeblack@Reddit.com
“Is it really r/macsetups without a Logitech MX Master of some kind?” asked Carrot. “This one’s the 2S.”
Image 7: Pegboard with spare keyboard and switches
Photo: carrotcakeblack@Reddit.com
“Ah, the keyboard wall,” sighed Carrot. “Featuring the Mode SixtyFive and some switches. More boards coming soon.”
Image 8: USB microphone
Photo: carrotcakeblack@Reddit.com
“And finally, the Shure M7 microphone,” Carrot pointed out. “It’s probably done more keyboard sound tests than anything else.”
Shop these items now:
Computer:
Display:
Input devices:
- Zhou Lumon ergonomic mechanical keyboard
- Mode Designs SixtyFive mechanical keyboard
- Logitech MX Master 2S wireless mouse
Audio:
Accessories:
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.
