What’s the biggest upgrade a computer setup can undergo other than a new computer, external display(s) or a massive audio boost? It’s the very platform the setup sits on — usually a desk. In my case, it’s an Uplift Standing Desk V3, which I reviewed recently (five stars, btw).
It’s a huge upgrade aesthetically and functionally. And it changes how I mount and use my gear, too.
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Uplift Standing Desk lifts up MacBook Pro setup in more ways than 1
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
In the past several years I’ve gone from typing away on a PC laptop propped up on a dusty box to switching to an M1 MacBook Pro with dual 4K display to landing at a standing desk with a nicely-spec’d M4 Pro MacBook Pro and a pair Edifier MR3 2.0 Monitor desktop speakers.
An M4 Pro MacBook Pro driving a pair of 5K touchscreen displays remains the core of my rig. And I went a little nuts recently with computer input devices as I strive for a more ergonomic workstation. I’m up to four, with backups for most, and that’s got to be some kind of record.
Has writing about setups for Cult of Mac for years had anything to do with that fairly rapid evolution? Yes, it just might have. Writing about more than 650 other exceptionally cool setups has a way of doing that to a person. So here I am — despite already having a nice, sophisticated setup — assembling a several-hundred-pound standing desk and switching from display stands to monitor arms, adding desktop speaker stands and finally getting a docking station, among other changes.
Setup gets a new platform and a new location
Uplift's market-leading sit-stand desk gets a number of improvements with its third edition, making a great option even better.
- Outstanding build quality
- Smooth, fast and quiet desktop movement
- Many customization options
- With heavy components, not necessarily a one-person assembly job
- On the pricey side, but worth it
The Uplift Standing Desk V3 and accessories arrived in seven boxes, including some biggies. Assembly turned into a hours-long process on a Sunday, with the help of my engineer brother and his excellent drill. The desk can be assembled using just one included wrench, but given the size and weight of the legs and top, and a bunch of accessories with separate instructions, not attempting to go it alone helped me out a lot.
Given the size and weight of the desk, I decided to assemble it in my condo’s underused dining area. That put it feet from the apartment’s wide main door rather than in the bedroom behind its narrower door. I figured I might sell it at some point, so I better not make it too difficult for someone to claim — as in having to disassemble it to take it away. So now someone can roll it right out (and only then face the problem of needing several strong individuals to manhandle it down the staircases).
The quality of the desk is undeniably high. Its dual motor vastly outperforms my previous standing desk, a Fezibo Electric Standing Desk and Monitor Stand thatcosts less than half the price of the Uplift. The Uplift’s dual motor moves the much heavier top faster and more quietly than the Fezibo moved its much lighter top.
Changes to how I use my gear
Photo: David Snow/Cult of Mac
The big new desk forced some welcome changes to how I work with my setup. First, though I ordered an under-desk shelf, I found I liked returning to an open-MacBook Pro situation rather than hiding it away. The third display can be useful, if only for one app like email, and easy access to Touch ID is a no-brainer.
I also started running my MacBook and peripherals — especially the two 5K Alogic Clarity displays — through a WavLink DisplayLink 14-in-1 docking station with dual 5K display support. And I’ll probably experiment with some other docks soon, too.
These stout and highly adjustable dual monitor arms allow you to mount external displays up off the desk and move them freely.
- Heavy duty adjustable dual monitor arms
- Choice of colors (black, white, gray)
- Some dual monitor arms may have greater range of motion
My old desk had a built-in desk shelf, so I kept my dual 5K displays on stands and rested my speakers on the shelf without stands. With the new desk, I ordered dual monitor arms to hold and move my displays. And given the size and placement of my Edifier MR3 speakers, it made sense to simply plop them on Kanto S2 tilted stands so they’ point up at my ears rather than installing shelving for them.
And while my old monitor light serves as a backlight on the wall art because it won’t perch properly on my current external displays (so it’s resting upside down on the back of my main display), I added a desk lamp with a clamp mount. It can stretch up over the desk very much like a monitor light. And finally, Uplift’s glass desk blotter makes for a fine addition to help me protect the desk’s beautiful bamboo top.
And you may notice a few items in the list below don’t appear in the setup images above (yet!) — like the webcam and the Focusrite Scarlett audio interface with mic and headphones. They haven’t yet migrated from the old setup to the new one, but they will.
Shop these items now:
The E7 is a slim, elegant LED desk lamp you can mount on a stand or via C-clamp on your desk. Includes dimming and adjustable light temperatures. Comes in silver or black.
- Slender desk lamp to improve lighting
- Clamps on desk or sits on stand
- Adjustable dimming light temperature
- Somewhat pricey
Uplift Standing Desk and accessories:
- Uplift Standing Desk V3 with curved bamboo top
- Uplift Range X Dual Monitor Arms, gray
- Uplift Slim Under-Desk Shelf, white
- Uplift LED Desk Lamp E7 with Clamp, silver
- Uplift Glass Desk Blotter
Computer and dock:
This 14-in-1 USB-C dock for Mac supports dual 5K displays and 100-watt laptop charging. Includes 2 DisplayLink/2 HDMI 4K ports, plus SD/TF, 5 USB ports, Ethernet and audio connections. Works with M1/M2/M3/M4 Macs and Windows.
- Supports dual 5K (DP) or 4K (HDMI) displays
- 14-in-1 connectivity for peripherals
- 100W laptop charging
- May need adapters for microphone and headphones
Displays, webcam and monitor light:
Input devices:
- Wobkey Rainy 75 mechanical keyboard
- Contour RollerMouse Red Wireless
- Logitech MX Anywhere 3 Mouse for Mac
- Magic Trackpad 2
Audio:
These tilted stands work well for small speakers and compact studio monitors. They include dampening foam padding and support up to six pounds. Available in black or white.
- Simple way to elevate speakers to direct sound
- Foam padding helps dampen distortion
- Padded base protects desktops
- Elevation angle is set (16 degrees), not adjustable
- Edifier MR3 2.0 Monitor Speaker System
- Kanto S2 Tilted Desktop Speaker Stands
- Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones
- AirPods Pro (2nd generation)
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface with microphone and headphones
Other furniture:
If you would like to see your setup featured on Cult of Mac, send some high-res pictures to [email protected] (landscape-oriented 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 or challenges.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
