As the old saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” And if “it” refers to cool old Apple gear, you should reconsider replacing it, too — especially if it’s still going strong. Today’s featured setup boasts a “trash can” Mac Pro from 2013. It drives not one, not two but three Cinema Displays of yesteryear.
And that’s not all for the workstation’s retro wares. It also features Apple’s old iSight webcam, a Mighty Mouse and a Thunderbolt 2 hard drive for Time Machine backups. And how often do you see a solar-powered keyboard? It has one of those, too.
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2013 Mac Pro drives 3 classic Cinema Displays
Redditor BuddyA showcased the old-school setup in a post entitled, “Mac Pro (2013) w/ three Cinema Displays.” His 2013 Mac Pro — the “trash can” — is hidden behind the three Cinema Displays dominating the setup for a reason.
The Mac Pro packs an Intel Xeon E5 processor running at 3.7 GHz and 16GB of RAM. The displays are a mix of 23-inch and 24-inch models.
“It’s really too pretty to hide behind the wall of screens, but it was the only way to tame that mess of cables,” he said. “I think it’s probably the nicest looking thing that Apple has ever designed.”
Bud said the old Mac Pro is performing well, “as it was ridiculously over-powered when new.”
“I’ve always liked those,” agreed an admiring commenter. “It’s pretty neat how the back lights up when you turn it around to plug cables in.”
Old school all the way: iSight webcam, TB2 drive and Mighty Mouse
To complete the retro vibe of that trio of Cinema Displays, Bud uses an old Apple iSight webcam. Cinema Displays and iSight webcams are contemporaries. Cinema Displays first came out in 1999 and ran until 2011.
Apple launched the iSight external webcam at the 2003 Worldwide Developers Conference. It was meant for use with the iChat AV videoconferencing client. By October 2008, Cupertino stopped selling the webcam, but the name “iSight” stuck around in reference to cameras in iMacs, MacBooks and some displays.
In order to run the iSight cam, Bud uses two adapters. One is a FireWire 400 to 800 adapter and the other is a FireWire to Thunderbolt 2 adapter.
Hidden under the desk, Bud has a G-Force external TB2 drive for TimeMachine backups.
As for the Mighty Mouse, Bud keeps it around as a backup for his Magic Mouse because of his “poor charging discipline.”
Solar-powered keyboard
That’s the same reason he cites for having a Logitech K750 Solar-Powered Keyboard. Any light source keeps the ultra-thin keeb charged.
But it’s not a Bluetooth devices. Instead, it relies on a small Logitech receiver that connects wireless devices.
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Photo: BuddyA@Reddit.com
Computer:
Displays, webcam and adapters:
Input devices:
Storage:
- G-Force external TB2 drive
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.
