A MacBook Pro makes a questionable monitor stand [Setups]

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It might take a moment to locate the MacBook Pro in this photo, even with the help of that nice Anglepoise desk lamp.
It might take a moment to locate the MacBook Pro in this photo, even with the help of that nice Anglepoise desk lamp.
Photo: FEmbrey@Reddit.com

Today’s featured setup carries a strong vibe of minimalism — so much so it appeared to lack even a computer, at least at a glance at the photograph. But then we realized the laptop was stashed away in unusual (and questionable) fashion.

We recently featured a setup with the MacBook Pro and iPad hidden on a little shelf mounted under the desk. This time the laptop is stashed in a case sitting directly under the monitor stand’s base (not recommended).

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M1 MacBook Pro serves as stand for Huawei MateView Display

Redditor FEmbrey showcased the minimalistic setup in a post entitled “Current setup.” It features an M1 MacBook Pro with 16GB of unified memory and a 1TB SSD for plenty of storage.

If you look closely at the photograph, you can see she slipped the laptop into a sleeve or case and placed it under the base of a 28.2-inch Huawei MateView Display. We would never recommend doing that, and neither would anyone in Apple discussion groups.

It’s not necessarily disastrous for the laptop, but it’s not a good idea. How bad it is depends on the display’s weight (the lighter the better), whether it pushes any heat to the MacBook and how strong that sleeve is. And, of course, how often are you going to use the laptop away from the desk with a display sitting on it? Most likely rarely or never.

As it happens, the “4K+” UHD Huawei display, with more than 1.5 million pixels (3840 x 2160 pixel resolution), weighs 20.9 pounds. It’s not the lightest or heaviest monitor around. But at least it’s not 30 pounds or heavier.

But Fe should really set that MacBook free.

What to do with the MacBook Pro instead

A better idea for laptop storage than simply sticking it under the monitor stand’s base would be to add a desk shelf, aka a monitor riser. Just place the display on top and the MacBook underneath, with any cables running out the back. Shelves and risers often look great. Some even have drawers, secondary shelves and whatnot for more storage.

A desk shelf or monitor riser wouldn’t take up much space and it would give the MacBook Pro a place to live free of the monitor’s weight. And the laptop would remain easy to grab and go, not gasping under the monitor’s girth.

Cult of Mac‘s Setups coverage sees desk shelves by Oregon-based Grovemade showing up all over the place. But there are many choices, including dozens on Amazon at various price points — from $25 to a few hundred bucks.

Shop these items now:

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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.

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