| Cult of Mac

RGB hues bathe Beatles-themed retro Apple rig in otherworldly light [Setups]

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Three types of RGB lighting create this effect.
Three types of RGB lighting create this effect.
Photo: Real-Apartment-1130@Reddit.com

Sometimes you just can’t help taking a wholistic approach to a computer setup, taking in the whole room. That’s what happens when the user makes their home office a veritable museum like that which surrounds today’s featured MacBook Pro setup.

Three themes set it apart: The Beatles, the variety of RGB lighting and the concrete blocks holding up the Ikea countertop and the retro Thunderbolt Displays sitting on it.

Hey podcasters, get a monstrous deal on a Blue Yeti Nano USB mic

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The Blue Yeti Nano is an easy, plug-and-play option.
The Blue Yeti Nano is an easy, plug-and-play option.
Photo: Logitech for Creators

If you’re thinking of starting a podcast — better hurry up, every single person on earth has one, it seems — you need a good USB microphone.

And now you can get a good deal on a popular one, as Amazon has knocked 30% off the regular price of a Blue Yeti Nano USB Microphone.

That’s a savings of $30 on what was already a pretty affordable mic for podcasters and streamers.

This is how you maximize space and fill it with sound and light [Setups]

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This excellent use of space is brought to you by a standing desk, a mounted ultra-wide display and MacBook Pro, and inventive wall storage.
This excellent use of space is brought to you by a standing desk, a mounted ultra-wide display and MacBook Pro, and inventive wall storage.
Photo: BeatKnicker@Reddit.com

Not everyone has a huge desk with ample room for their computer setup and loads of associated gear. But with a few smart moves, anyone can make the most of a small desk in a cramped space.

Today’s featured setup is a good example. It takes advantage of a standing desk, displays mounted on arms and ample wall-mounted storage to maximize limited space.

And the audio gear and lighting don’t disappoint, either.

This dual-display trick is not for everyone [Setups]

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You get a tall and narrow display when your portrait-mode (vertical) monitor is an ultra-wide.
You get a tall and narrow display when your portrait-mode (vertical) monitor is an ultra-wide.
Photo: Mykhartley02@Reddit.com

As we know from looking at lots of computer setups, having at least two monitors is popular, and so is having at least one of those in portrait mode (vertical). But what if you have dual displays and both are ultra-wide screens? Turned on end, isn’t the one in portrait mode going to be awfully tall?

Today’s featured setup provides an answer to those questions. Here the MacBook Pro-centered setup features two 34-inch displays in different orientations.

Two secrets of super-clean desktops [Setups]

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Dual, mounted monitors and an M1 hidden Mac mini make for a clean desktop.
Dual, mounted monitors and an M1 hidden Mac mini make for a clean desktop.
Photo: kurtvdpoel@Reddit.com

We keep coming across two great secrets of super-clean desktops when it comes to computer setups. As shown in today’s featured setup, they’re both about creating significant amounts of open desk space in different ways — without losing any access to your gear or forfeiting any computing power.

And we’re not just talking about clearing away basic clutter, or even cable clutter, although that always helps. We’re talking about how you can get some of your main equipment up and off the desk so you have room in front of you. Redditor kurtvdpoel demonstrates the two excellent methods in his post, “Home office with Mac mini Apple M1.”

M1 Mac mini and gaming PC share massive screen real estate [Setups]

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Who says a Mac mini and a gaming PC can't get along just fine?
Who says a Mac mini and a gaming PC can't get along just fine?
Photo: ghostintheshell@Reddit.com

Who says an M1 Mac mini and a revved-up gaming PC can’t get along? Macs aren’t known to excel at gaming, so it’s natural for many folks to keep a Mac alongside a tricked-out gaming rig. These days, it’s easy to switch back and forth, as we’ll see in today computer setup featuring a massive TV screen and a slightly more modest monitor.

You, too, can achieve pleasing symmetry and soft lighting [Setups]

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A desk with a metal frame and a bunch or clips and magnets help make a great setup.
A desk with a metal frame and a bunch of clips and magnets help make a great setup.
Photo: QasimZafaraYouTube@Reddit

Quasim Zafar’s neatly laid out computer setup serves as his filming area for YouTube product reviews, his general workstation using a 2020 M1 Mac mini and his Xbox Series S gaming station where he plays Call of Duty.

But that’s only incidental to what you’ll probably love about it and want for your own setup.

Sometimes breaking a new product results in a huge upgrade [Setups]

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Lynch's nice, neat setup helps with iOS development and YouTube content creation.
Lynch's nice, neat setup helps with iOS development and YouTube content creation.
Photo: Stewart Lynch

Canadian iOS developer and YouTuber Stewart Lynch got lucky when he broke the USB-C port connector on his brand new 27-inch LG monitor the first day he had it. Huge-upgrade lucky.

Lynch, who hails from North Vancouver, British Columbia, took the stricken display, under warranty, to a repair shop.

“About a week later LG called me and said they did not have any 27-inch monitors in stock so they offered me a 38-inch upgrade at no cost,” Lynch told Cult of Mac. “I took it and sold my dual monitor arm that was holding the 27- and 24-inch monitors and went with the setup I have now.”