In Setups world, the struggle continues over display preferences, in terms of those who want bigger and those who want more. Today’s MacBook Pro user dwells on the “bigger” side an an ultra-wide monitor user, but they actually want to downsize from a mammoth 49-incher and get something with a higher refresh rate. Meanwhile, they’re thrilled their M1 Pro MacBook Pro still runs like a champ. And they conceived a way to have Touch ID while hiding the keyboard it comes with.
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M1 Pro MacBook Pro user wants to swap ultra-wide external display for high refresh rate monitor
Redditor tech-ant showcased the highly capable setup in a post they titled “MacBook Pro M1 Pro – Still going strong!” It goes along with other anecdotal Setups evidence, where users continue to extoll the virtues of their aging M1 series Apple silicon computers, as commenters did in Ant’s post. After all, computers are pricey, and who wouldn’t want one to last for years.
“I have the same MBP config and it’s only just now beginning to show its age,” a commenter said. “It’s a beast, so I’ll be able to hold off upgrading until the next time they redesign the hardware. Definitely a great investment.”
“Agreed! Same as you, perf wise, it’s going strong, if the redesign as significant may be worth it,” Ant replied, agreeing they feel no rush to upgrade. “TBH, I hope they do more with iPadOS … if so I can ditch the laptop and go Mac mini and iPad for traveling,” they added.
High refresh rate monitor
Dell's 40-inch curved ultra-wide WUHD LED display features 5K2K resolution and a 21:9 aspect ratio.
- Wide display area at 39.7 viewable inches
- Brilliant 5K2K resolution
- Broad connectivity
- Built-in KVM switch can be tricky to use
But one area where Ant wants to make a change is the external display. Their MacBook Pro drives a massive 49-inch curved Philips 499P9H ultra-wide monitor.
“Want to downsize and get something with more Hz, perhaps 40 inches,” Ant said.
“Hz,” or hertz, refers to refresh rate. It indicates how many times a display updates its image per second. For Apple, 60Hz has been a standard for a long time, but many third-party monitors go much higher (especially in the gaming world, for smooth imagery).
So someone shared a link to a 40-inch Dell 5K ultra-wide display with 120Hz refresh rate. Ant said they nailed the very target.
“That’s the one I’ve got my eye on … the 5k2k market from 34in to 40in is really lacking on choice,” they said. “The Dell U4025QW seems perfect (although I did read xBox Series X and this monitor aren’t running at 120Hz 4K, hopefully firmware to sort that…). Problem is, it’s crazy expensive so I’m gonna keep watching until I see it for less.”
Hidden Magic Keyboard for Touch ID
Apple's popular keyboard is wireless, rechargeable and includes the popular Touch ID feature. Works with Mac computers with Apple Silicon; US English, white keys.
- Convenience of Touch ID login
- Fast and smooth typing
- Rechargeable
- Plenty of keyboards cost less
Recently in another post I pointed to a mechanical keyboard user who Velcro’d a Magic Keyboard off the end of his desk just so he could reach Touch ID. Well, today’s user had another idea.
“What’s up with wooden cube on the right side?” someone asked, looking at the setup photo.
“My latest addition … an old chopping board I cut to shape and put some legs on it,” Ant replied. “Underneath is an Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Through the hole, I poke my finger and voila, I’m signed in or buying something. Time saver and just didn’t look right having a keyboard poking out. Had seen some hacks to take it apart, build a case and purely have the Touch ID but felt like a waste of a keyboard.”
Well. Isn’t that something. Add it to the list of ways to get Touch ID without shackling yourself to Magic Keyboard. You can read more about hacks Ant refers to at the Velcro link above.
Where to find that wallpaper
And if you “dig” the wallpaper on the display, as one person put it, it shouldn’t be hard to find.
“It’s in macOS if you’re on Mac,” Ant said. “If not, they offer video wallpapers … it moves when I lock/unlock so always a bit different each time.”
Shop these items now:
Computers:
Built for Apple Intelligence, Apple's top tablet features an Ultra Retina XDR Display, 1TB SSD, 12MP front/back camera, LiDAR Scanner, Wi-Fi 6E + 5G Cellular, Face ID, all-day battery life and more.
- Thin and light
- Beautiful display
- All-day battery life
- Expensive
Display, arm and webcam:
Input devices:
- Mistel Barocco 770 split mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Blue switches
- Magic Keyboard (for Touch ID)
- Magic Trackpad 2
Audio:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected] (iPhone pics usually work fine). 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.
