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MacBook Pro - page 10

Day or night, you can’t go wrong with stereo HomePods [Setups]

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Dual HomePod MacBook Pro setup
The daytime photograph shows the treasured HomePods clearly.
Photo: [email protected]

Paired for stereo sound, two full-size HomePod smart speakers — the original or second generation — are a thing of auditory beauty. And they don’t just sound great, they look good, too. Yet we don’t see paired HomePods much in computer setups (HomePod minis yes, the big ones, no).

Today’s MacBook Pro setup takes full advantage of Apple audio, however, and the user couldn’t be happier. Well, except with Siri, that is. Check out their setup’s cheerful day version (above) and moody night version (below).

User trades 4K display for a second MacBook Pro [Setups]

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Dual MacBook setup
This setup traded a vertical 32-inch display for an M2 Max MacBook Pro, among other changes.
Photo: [email protected]

For the second time in as many weeks we’ve come across someone ditching a nice external display and keeping just one — and this time it’s to add a second powerful MacBook Pro used as both a computer and a secondary display. In fact, now it’s triple-display setup, but two of them are laptops on stands.

No regrets on move from monster PC to M3 MacBook Pro [Setups]

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M3 Max MacBook Pro setup
The M3 Max MacBook Pro in clamshell mode offers plenty of power in a small, mobile footprint.
Photo: [email protected]

If you have a powerful custom desktop PC, why would you switch to a MacBook Pro? We’ve seen plenty of setups that opt to include both, but today’s setup made the swap and its user feels zero regrets.

The Mac laptop is just that powerful, and the option for mobile use proved irresistible.

‘Small’ MacBook Pro rig punches well above its weight [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup
Despite appearances, there's really a lot going on here.
Photo: [email protected]

Isn’t it great when someone on social media humbly displays a well put-together and complete computer setup that makes yours look like random debris? Well, at least it’s a good learning opportunity. And today’s MacBook Pro setup is an exceptional example, as it doesn’t look like “all that” — even though it is.

At a glance you might not guess that it packs about two dozen components, and the user is happy to explain how he uses most of them.

M3 Max MacBook Pros get hefty discounts

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Space black M3 MacBook Pro
Save big on Apple's most powerful MacBook Pros.
Photo: Apple

Since its launch in late October 2023, retailers have frequently discounted Apple’s M3 MacBooks. Continuing that trend, Amazon is offering hefty discounts of up to $250 on the M3 Max-powered MacBook Pros.

Thanks to the deal, you can get the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max chip and 1TB storage for as low as $2,999, saving $200 from its $3,199 MSRP.

Good monitor arms ‘go a long way’ [Setups]

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Mac Studio setup with three mounted displays
This user swears by the arms his 4 displays are mounted on.
Photo: [email protected]

Sure, you can buy a computer monitor and set it up on the stand that came in the box. But what if you want to easily move the external display around? And what if you want to have multiple screens and move them around?

Keeping monitors up off the desk and mobile can really improve your setup. And the best way to do that is to mount your screens on arms. It takes some effort, but as today’s user points out below, it’s worth it.

Can removing a 4K external display count as an upgrade? [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup with LG UltraFine monitor on stand
Once again, a monitor riser (and other updates) elevates a computer setup.
Photo: [email protected]

Multiple-display computer setups are all the rage, but can a workstation benefit from losing one of its external monitors, even one with 4K resolution?

If today’s featured MacBook Pro rig is any indication, yes, it can — especially if the outfit sees a bunch of other cool upgrades at the same time, like a cool new monitor riser, an open stand for the MacBook Pro and a great new office chair.

Dual 5K displays and giant DIY desk distinguish this rig [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup
Cleaned, reorganized and beautifully underlit, this MacBook Pro and Studio Display rig is ready for work in the new year.
Photo: [email protected]

People often compare LG’s UltraFine 5K display to Apple’s Studio Display because they’re directly comparable, with the same size and resolution. But rarely do you find the two in the same setup. That makes today’s dual MacBook Pro and dual 5K display setup something of a rarity.

That, along with the rarely seen Wacom drawing tablet and the truly massive DIY desk, fashioned from a kitchen countertop and mechanized legs.

This MacBook Pro workstation enjoyed a very merry Christmas [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup with dual monitors
Sometimes the holiday season turns a half-empty desk into a powerful computer setup.
Photo: TemporaryAd_4202@Reddit

Ah, the magic of Christmas. Even a grownup can get deliriously excited about unwrapping a rich haul of computer gear that turns a Charlie Brown Christmas tree of a setup into a powerful workstation that would intimidate Ebeneezer Scrooge. You can also relive the magic and watch Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales free this season.

Today’s user had a decent MacBook Pro and iPad Pro to begin with, but ended up with a proper, highly functional setup. And commenters had further suggestions for additions, too. Hey, the more the merrier!

$2,000 off a loaded MacBook Pro? Don’t miss B&H’s year-end Mega Deal Zone.

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Space black M3 MacBook Pro
Want a great deal on a space-black M3 MacBook Pro? It's in there.
Photo: Apple

The holiday shopping season might cool off a bit right after Christmas, but not at B&H Photo. Its year-end Mega Deal Zone sale is running hot with a bunch of bargains on Apple products this week — especially MacBook Pro.

You can get $250 off a hot new M3 MacBook Pro or up to an amazing $2,000 off a massively loaded 16-inch M1 Max MacBook Pro, to name two examples. See more below.

Multiple Macs drive phalanx of Dell displays [Setups]

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Mac Studio setup with 3 external displays
Windows on water everywhere in this triple-screened Mac Studio and MacBook Pro setup.
Photo: [email protected]

After a recent debate over whether dual external displays should be lined up straight across or angled for better ergonomics, a Mac Studio and dual-MacBook setup addresses the question in a different way. It uses three identical displays in landscape mode, placing the center one one straight and one on either side of it at an angle.

And the setup also offers connecitivity tips, running the two MacBooks into two of the displays via a CalDigit dock while the Mac Studio drives one directly.

If you have dual displays, try this neat wallpaper trick [Setups]

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Dual-Studio Display MacBook Pro setup
This flat side-by-side look brought up debate, plus the question of getting wallpaper to work that way across two screens.
Photo: [email protected]

Few people would dispute that the extra screen real estate of a second display can be a huge help in a computer setup. But let’s say you have two Studio Displays in landcape (horizontal) mode. Do you place them side by side perfectly straight or do you angle them in some way?

Today’s MacBook Pro workstation brought up the debate and surfaced a cool tip for getting wallpaper to appear half on one display and half on the other.

Studio Display stars in designer’s Lego-rich home office [Setups]

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Setups Jose Munoz desk with MacBook Pro and Studio Display
Munoz loves his Studio Display the most, but he also praises his 14-inch M1 MacBook Pro and other gear.
Photo: Jose Munoz

If Apple’s popular but pricey Studio Display is well-suited to anyone, it’s any type of designer because of the monitor’s formidable graphics chops.

In today’s loaded MacBook Pro setup, a designer sets apart his Studio Display for the highest praise among many items in a remarkably well-equipped workstation. And his Lego collection is epic, too.

How many displays would you add to this MacBook Pro workstation? [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup with ultra-wide Samsung display
Would you add displays alongside or above this ultra-wide monitor, or replace it?
Photo: [email protected]

If you had a gigantic 49-inch curved ultra-wide display, would you dream of adding more external monitors to it? If so, would you stack them, or add one or two displays in portrait mode (vertical) on either side of the big screen?

A MacBook Pro user with a giant Samsung display is pondering those very questions.

Top 10 Best Buy holiday deals on Mac and iPad

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M3 MacBook Pro in space black
Yes, an M3 MacBook Pro in space black is on the list.
Photo: Apple

With gift-giving season at full-tilt, Best Buy offers its Apple Sales Event on a full range of fabulous products you can check out here. We’d thought we’d focus below on 10 great Mac and iPad deals you won’t want to miss. Click on the prices below to go straight to the products.

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

Ugreen’s potent new power bank charges 3 gadgets on the go

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Ugreen 100W 20000mAh Power Bank
Ugreen's new power bank works with most devices and recharges itself in just a couple of hours.
Photo: Ugreen

The new Nexode 100W 20,000mAh Power Bank lets users fast-charge three devices at once on the go, the company said Tuesday.

And the portable charger’s 65W “rapid recharge” feature lets it fully power itself back up from an empty battery in just 2 hours.

Macintosh buying guide: Choose the best Mac and accessories

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Mac buying guide: Choose the best model and accessories
We'll help you pick the perfect Mac.
Image: Killian Bell/Cult of Mac

When you buy a new Mac, you will spend a decent stack of cash. So, whether you’re shopping for yourself or someone else, ensuring you choose the best Mac is key. While every modern Mac can handle casual computing with ease, some are a much better fit for certain use cases.

In our Mac buying guide, we’ll look at all of the models offered by Apple today, as well as some of the best Mac accessories you can get to go with them.

M3 Pro 14-inch MacBook Pro gets a big $200 off in pre-Christmas deal

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Late-2023 MacBook Pro with M3
Whether you can get your hands on the latest MacBook Pro with M3 chip on launch day depends on which configuration you want.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s late 2023 MacBook Pro lineup has been frequently on discount since its debut. And while Black Friday is over, the deals continue.

Amazon is knocking $200 off the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Pro chip, dropping its price to an attractive $1,800.

Software engineer defends Apple’s pricey Studio Display [Setups]

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Computer setup with M2 Pro MacBook Pro and Studio Display
Software engineer says his Studio Display's 60Hz refresh rate doesn't bother him (much).
Photo: [email protected]

A software engineer drives a Studio Display with an M2 Pro MacBook Pro in their enviable computer setup. And while some folks questioned the use of Apple’s pricey 5K display because of its relatively low refresh rate, the setup’s user praised the monitor highly.

Check out the advice the engineer got about setup improvements and see all their gear in the list below.

‘Winter edition’ MacBook Pro rig boasts fine 5K display and top-shelf scotch [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup with scotch
"The whiskey bottle adds a lot to it," a commenter noted.
Photo: [email protected]

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.

Tiny fan makes MacBook Air perform like MacBook Pro

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Frore Systems AirJet cooling chip fits MacBook Air
A Frore Systems cooling chip can boost MacBook Air performance.
Photo: Frore Systems

MacBook Air performs well without a MacBook Pro’s cooling fan, but now a tiny cooling chip can bridge the difference between the two laptops, according to a new report.

The thin membrane-based AirJet chip fits in Apple’s lightest laptop and boosts its performance when needed. Too bad you can’t just buy it and install it.

Flexible device and display mounts make this home office [Setups]

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MacBook Pro setup with mounted devices and displays
Everything in this setup but the keyboard, wrist rest, mouse and desk mat is mounted.
Photo: [email protected]

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: If you’re not elevating your laptop, iPad and displays on mounts and arms, you’re limiting your computer setup. Today’s feature MacBook Pro and iPad setup illustrates the point well by putting those devices and dual displays on four separate mounts, some with moveable arms.

That makes all of those devices more flexible, and much easier to move around than they would be on stationary stands. It also frees up space on the desk.

Bag bargains on Macs, iPads and Studio Displays while you can

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Woot! Apple sale
Discounted iMacs are on the gift list this season at bargain site Woot!
Photo: Apple

Amazon bargain site Woot! would never miss out on giving you discounted gift options on Apple gear for the holidays, and so it offers a sale right on the heels of Cyber Monday.

iMacs, Mac minis, MacBooks, iPads, Studio Displays — the list of 18 items at up to 51% off is well worth a look. Sale goes through December 5, but these deals likely will sell out early.