As we ring in the first day of December, let us toast winter. More specifically, let us toast what a user calls their “winter edition” computer setup in Berlin, Germany, featuring a powerful MacBook Pro, a gorgeous 5K display, a cool mechanical keyboard and the best tool of all for toasting — a bottle of extremely good, peat-forward scotch from Islay, Scotland.
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M1 Pro MacBook and 5K Samsung display have a Scottish drinking buddy in ‘winter edition’ setup
Redditor vadisyon (“Vad”) showcased the boozy M1 Pro MacBook Pro setup from Berlin in a post entitled, “My setup [winter edition].”
“Got the first real snow after 5 years living in Berlin, so it’s time to share my desk setup,” they reasoned.
And apparently it’s quite the occasion, complete with a bottle of pricey 16-year-old Lagavulin single-malt Scotch whisky — over there it’s spelled without the ‘e’ — and a tumbler on the desk just to the left of the impressive Samsung ViewFinity S9 5K display. For reference, a bottle of Lagavulin 16 costs about as much as an Apple Pencil, depending on which one you get and whether or not it’s new (anywhere from $80 to $130).
“The whiskey bottle adds a lot to it,” noted a commenter.
“Especially during those boring meetings, the ‘special mug,'” someone else added.
“This is my favorite drink during the winter,” Vad replied, though he didn’t comment on drinking during meetings.
Samsung ViewFinity S9 5K display looks awfully familiar
Vad’s M1 Pro MacBook Pro drives the Samsung monitor, which sits in front of a Leopold FC660C mechanical keyboard and a Logitech MX Master 3 for Mac wireless mouse. Before he got the ViewFinity he had an iMac.
On the right side of the Samsung, Vad rocks and enviable set of headphones — Bose QuietComfort 35 (not sure if it’s a Series I or a Series II). The cans aren’t the newest in Bose’s QC line — QuietComfort, QuietComfort Ultra and QuietComfort 45 are all newer — but they remain popular for a reason.
“What do you think of the Samsung ViewFinity S9 5K?” asked a commenter. “Happy with your purchase?”
“Absolutely, it took a couple days to get used to the matte screen after the glossy one on the iMac, but it was worth it,” Vad replied. “Working with dark themes without seeing my reflection is great! The camera is good too, plus it’s cheaper than the Studio Display so I can only recommend it.”
But the monitor does look a lot like a Studio Display.
“Setup looks sweet,” a commenter said. “Almost didn’t notice that monitor wasn’t a Studio Display!”
Both the Samsung and Studio Display feature 5K resolution with more pixels than 4K, at 218 PPI. The ViewFinity S9 5K also sports 99% DCI-P3 color saturation for the color accuracy designers love. Its matte display reduces reflection while Intelligent Eye Care optimizes brightness, reduces blue light and eliminates flickering, according to Samsung. All that, plus it rocks Thunderbolt 4 connectivity and a 4K SlimFit camera.
And while the 5K Samsung display normally lists for $1,599 — about the same as a Studio Display — right now you can get it on Amazon for $1,178 (or less; price fluctuates). See the gear list below.
Shop these items now:
Computer:
Display:
Input devices:
Audio:
Furniture:
Scotch whisky:
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.
Samsung's new 27-inch 5K computer monitor features Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort connectivity, Matte Display, 4K Slimfit Camera, slim metal design, AirPlay, Smart TV Apps and a Gaming Hub (LS27C900PANXZA).
