When the eccentric LG DualUp display came out, its nearly square, 16:18 aspect ratio raised eyebrows. But the monitor is kind of like two displays in one, so it’s making inroads into computer setups like today’s featured MacBook Pro workstation.
The user wanted a Studio Display, but he finds the DualUp an economical alternative and then some.
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LG DualUp display finds its way into M1 Max MacBook Pro setup
Redditor stijnVDS (“Stij”), who said he sports a Nike poster on his wall because he just got his “dream job” at the company, showcased the sleek setup in a post entitled, “Finally got an external monitor (LG DualUp).”
The Nike poster is right next to an Apple “Think Different” poster (and don’t miss the Lego sets; see all gear and decor in the links list below).
Despite his affinity for Apple, as evidenced by his monster 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro, Stij’s choice of external monitor to go along with the laptop isn’t one of Apple’s acclaimed screens. He wanted a Studio Display, but he opted for the LG Dual the 28-inch LG DualUp Monitor with Ergo Stand instead.
LG DualUp gets the job done, with caveats
When the DualUp came out in June 2022, it looked bizarre, like little or nothing seen before. It’s big and square, or nearly so.
“Free up desk space and multitask more efficiently with a new, 16:18 aspect ratio stacked setup that swivels, freeing up your desk without giving up the screen space of a double monitor,” the company said. And people are buying the 2560 x 2880p Nano IPS display, which delivers 90W of power via USB-C to a laptop.
“How do you like it so far?” a commenter asked.
“At first, I was a bit disappointed because the native resolution made text and GUI elements too small and the available HiDPI resolution everything way too big, but after tweaking the resolution to 90% of native (2304 x 2592) with BetterDisplay, text looks quite sharp to my liking! Should be awesome for programming but haven’t spend much time with it yet,” Stij replied.
A commenter asked what Stij thought of the unusual aspect ratio. He said it works for his preferences.
“I often have two or three Integrated Development Environment (IDE) windows open for programming, I prefer having them on top of each other. Also works great with a browser (Stack Overflow) + IDE or a Zoom call with a colleague + IDE or Slack + IDE,” he said.
Another commenter offered a piece of advice on orientation.
“If you find yourself wishing it was a tad wider, try rotating it to landscape mode,” they said. “For me, this worked great, allowing two panes side-by-side with a terminal at the bottom.”
‘Nothing does everything right’ in changing display landscape
Photo: LG
And regarding DualUp’s place in the changing display landscape, Stij heartily agreed with the following well-stated sentiments from another DualUp user:
I use my DualUp for graphic design and I’ve had it a few months and I love it, easily one of the best monitors out there for creative and productivity purposes. I’ve always hated 16:9 monitors, they don’t make high resolution 16:10 monitors, and 21:9 ultrawides aren’t big enough yet (the 40-inch 5K ultrawides are tempting but pricey), so the DualUp feels like a nice and very unique alternative to my dream monitor that doesn’t exist yet.
The downside is that it’s a relatively mundane IPS panel in terms of specs, but that’s just the transitionary state of the computer industry right now. You can get OLED monitors with fantastic picture quality but relatively limited sizes and resolutions, you can get a Studio Display with fantastic pixel density and industrial design/build quality but at a relatively small 27-inch size and without local dimming, you can get big monitors at non-Retina pixel densities, you can get fast monitors in relatively small sizes and low resolutions, nothing really does everything right.
But if every monitor is going to be a compromise I really like the DualUp’s version of compromise, it’s a lot more interesting than most monitors these days.
As always, a final note whenever applicable: If you like the desktop wallpaper showing on the LG DualUp, you can find it here.
Shop these items now:
Computer:
Displays:
Input devices:
Furniture and lighting:
Decor:
- Lego Star Wars X-Wing Fighter set
- Lego Star Wars The Mandalorian and The Child set
- Apple ‘Think Different’ poster
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, challenges and plans for new additions.
