There’s nothing like starting over in a brand new year. One of the best ways to do it is to freshen things up in the place where you spend so much of your waking life — your workspace. But rather than just rewarding yourself with a thrilling new mouse pad, why not roll out a whole new computer setup?
That’s the case with today’s featured M2 MacBook Pro setup. The brawny laptop drives a spacious “4K+” display with the help of some choice input devices. And it all basks in the glow of simple but highly effective lighting.
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
Setup gets a fresh start in 2023 with a new M2 MacBook Pro and ‘great display for a Mac’
As the end of 2022 loomed large, coder, graphic designer and Redditor DeerisLeGris (“Gris”) showcased his shiny new workstation in a post entitled, “My New Setup!”
It appears the whole workstation isn’t just new, but well put-together. A spacious Ikea Bekant standing desk holds all the gear, with the mouse and keyboard sitting on a large blue desk mat that color-coordinates with the seat of the Steelcase Series 1 office chair. Some greenery and a Master Chief action figure from the game Halo Infinite flank the mounted laptop and large external display.
M2 MacBook Pro and Huawei MateView external display
The setup features a 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro sitting open on an adjustable stand. The machine sports an impressive 24GB of integrated memory, a 512GB SSD, an 8-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. It handles coding, graphic design and light gaming, Gris said.
To the right of the laptop stands a 28.2-inch Huawei MateView monitor, which features a 3:2 screen ratio and “4K+” resolution. The plus means it packs an “extra 1.5 million pixels compared to standard 4K,” as the company described it. And the display’s bezels are just 6mm wide, maximizing screen space.
“The 3:2 screen ratio feel very good when [I’m] coding, and the cool thing with this monitor is I can directly plug in my MacBook in USB-C,” Gris said. The display features one multipurpose USB-C port on the side, the company said.
“Great display for a Mac, I love mine,” a commenter agreed.
Not (quite) the usual input devices
Gris’ keyboard and mouse are from an extremely familiar, widely used brand — Logitech — but the devices themselves aren’t the ones we see most often in Setups.
Instead of Logi’s popular Mini wireless keyboard and ubiquitous MX Master 3 wireless mouse, he uses the relatively new Logitech MX Mechanical Mini wireless keyboard (AZERTY version) and the Logitech Lift vertical ergonomic wireless mouse.
The keyboard, which Logitech released in May 2022, was the first mechanical (as opposed to membrane) keeb in Logi’s MX line. It uses relatively quiet tactile switches. Cult of Mac‘s reviewer absolutely loves it.
The vertical mouse stands tall and you hold it like you’re shaking someone’s hand. That orientation is meant to reduce the repetitive strain of typical mousing.
“Personally I love this mouse, it fit perfectly in my hand (I have a small hand, if you have a large hand, check the Logitech MX Vertical),” Gris said. “About graphic design with this mouse, I have no problems when I’m doing some light stuff on Affinity Photo or Figma, and I also do some light gaming stuff with it (Minecraft for example) even if it’s not the best mouse for gaming. I principally use it for coding.”
But he added a caveat: “I warn you: if you have never used an ergonomic mouse, you will need some time to familiarize yourself with it in order to use it properly.”
Atmospheric under-desk lighting
A nice touch in the setup is the lighting, which has a big impact on the feel of the workspace and perhaps even ups its productivity. To create the effect, Gris installed a Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus under the desk.
“You’ve turned what appears to be a room with no windows into a very nice room to work in,” an approving commenter said.
“I can control it with the remote (you can see it on the left of my keyboard) or I can synchronize it with my Mac, but for that I need a Philips Hue Bridge,” Gris said.
Check out all the gear in the list below. And if you like the desktop wallpaper showing on the displays, you can find it here.
Shop these items now:
Computer:
Display:
Input devices:
Furniture, lighting and accessories:
- Ikea Bekant electric desk
- XXL desk pad
- Steelcase Series 1 chair
- Philips Hue Lightstrip Plus
- Master Chef action figure from Halo Infinite
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.
