There’s skepticism about the low-cost MacBook that’s reportedly launching soon because it reportedly will run on an Apple A18 processor — the same one in current iPhones. But this chip is more powerful than you might realize.

I compared the performance of the A18 to Apple’s M-series Mac chips, and I think you’ll be surprised by how well the iPhone processor performed.

You can be excused if you don’t know off the top of your head how many external monitors your MacBook supports. The number varies by model, processor version, and even whether the laptop is open or closed. Still, there’s a good chance it’s more than you think.

Now that notebooks with the new M4 family of processors are available, here’s an updated guide to how many external screens you can attach to your MacBook.

Some computer setups on social media are like highly functional art, beautifully curated and seemingly permanent, like museum pieces. Others are just weird, wonderful and fleeting. Today’s example is more the latter case, featuring a “spec’d out” M4 Mac mini used with an iPad Air and a tiny touch screen as external displays, plus a Magic Trackpad and a crazy split keyboard.

People questioned the lack of a MacBook, but other commenters rose up in defense of the oddball setup.

When AirPods Max came out in late 2020, everyone seemed to hate the Smart Case that Apple created for the high-end headphones. And it seems they still do to this day, as we await a third iteration of the cans.

Third-party solutions flooded in, including the type of thing used in today’s featured MacBook Pro setup as multipurpose storage — a nifty charging stand. The headphones rest vertically in the stand, taking on power and looking good doing it — and they remain ready to grab at any time.

Today’s featured setup user seeks out and gets good advice on his upgrade questions. He runs an aging MacBook Pro and a more recent iMac, but wonders about replacing them both with a newer MacBook Pro, perhaps an M4 Pro model. Commenters on his post offered useful thoughts, below, on future-proofing choices of Mac models as well as external display options.

Sometimes even a MacBook in a vertical laptop stand takes up too much space on the desk. Today’s dual MacBook Pro setup user asks the question of how to “get rid of” the laptops — as in how to mount MacBook out of the way but still in use. And they get plenty of excellent advice, below.

And in addition, the workstation grabs the attention for its “odd couple” of Apple monitors, old and new. The user said they love both displays (despite that rather significant differences between the two).

Today’s featured setup sports an M1 Max MacBook Pro still going strong, but the user posted the workstation on social media to show off a newly added Mchose mechanical keyboard — an unfamiliar but solid-looking brand. And I couldn’t help notice the stellar audio gear in the mix, including excellent Yamaha studio monitors for focused sound in the room, plus a surprising array of great headphones and audio interfaces.

Apple could launch a MacBook next year that’s even more affordable than the current $999 13-inch MacBook Air. The new budget laptop supposedly will use an A18 Pro chip and come in several colors.

The company hopes to boost MacBook shipments to return to the COVID-19 peak of around 25 million next year with this move.

After several years of covering the Cult of Mac setups beat, I still rarely write about my own. But major new upgrades call for it. Since a spate of recent changes, I’m still rocking the M4 Pro MacBook Pro as my main daily driver. But I replaced dual 4K external displays with a pair of 5K touchscreen displays. And I dipped my toe into the world of serious mechanical keyboards for the first time.

Some computer setups showed off on social media aren’t packed with the latest and greatest tech gear — they just look great. Today’s featured setup is a fine example. It packs two still-going-strong older Macs — a MacBook Pro from 2021 and a Mac mini from all the way back in 2012 — driving an LG ultra-wide display. But the subtle lighting and tasteful decor, including great use of plants, go a long way in this one.