| Cult of Mac

‘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: vadisyon@Reddit.com

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.

Crucial dock connects new MacBook Pro to classic Cinema Display [Setups]

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Setup with MacBook Pro and Cinema Display.
The user connects a MacBook Pro and Cinema Display via dock, as the Mac mini mainly stays with the TV in the living room.
Photo: macindork@Reddit.com

One thing we love about Apple is the staying power of its beautiful displays. We see the Studio Display maker’s much older Cinema Displays and Thunderbolt Displays used in modern computer setups pretty regularly.

Today’s MacBook Pro setup recently added a docking station to charge the laptop while connecting it to a classic LED Cinema Display.

Finding the ‘perfect’ dock or KVM switch [Setups]

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This Mac mini user has a Dell laptop and wants to run them both with peripherals.
This Mac mini user has a Dell laptop and wants to run them both with peripherals.
Photo: Chrysothemis@Reddit.com

Anyone looking to run different peripherals with both Mac and PC might take a look at today’s setup advice-fest. The user runs a Mac mini with dual displays and typical Apple input devices, but wants to add a Dell laptop from work into the mix.

They got plenty of advice on doing just that with the right kind of dock or KVM switch, below.

Mac mini and custom PC help make gamer’s paradise [Setups]

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Just check out those pegboards holding many and varied gaming implements.
Just check out those pegboards holding many and varied gaming implements.
Photo: Sajid Kahn

Some computer setups blow you away with the sheer number of components they include. Today’s featured M1 Mac mini rig not only has five computing devices — not counting a whole wall full of gaming systems — its gear list at the bottom of this post includes 33 items.

And that doesn’t even count the 3D printer, smartphones and a bunch of other items the user showcased.

High praise for hard-to-find Bose speakers [Setups]

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The little Bose speaker on the stand to the left of the display is, apparently, a keeper. But it's hard to come by.
The little Bose speaker on the stand to the left of the display is, apparently, a keeper. But it's hard to come by.
Photo: Federico_Rosellini@Reddit.com

The main gear in a computer setup might be perfectly impressive, like the Mac Studio desktop machine in today’s featured setup. But that’s not what everyone looking at the workstation notices and talks about on social media.

Instead, the coveted items in this particular setup are a Bose speaker system folks are having a hard time finding, plus a Belkin Continuity Camera mount that helps you use an iPhone as a webcam.

Developer makes mobile apps with blazing-fast M1 MacBook Pro [Setups]

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All those smartphones are for testing apps using different OS versions and screen sizes.
All those smartphones are for testing apps using different OS versions and screen sizes.
Photo: iSapozhnik@Reddit.com

It’s always nice to hear from professionals relying on Apple gear and finding it meets or even exceeds their expectations. That’s a good indicator that Cupertino is going in the right direction.

Today’s featured computer setup shows that enthusiasm. A mobile app developer offers high praise for his M1 MacBook Pro. And his stacked displays and raft of AV gear aren’t bad, either. Let’s take a look.

Apple-hating programmer now swears by Mac Studio, Pro Display XDR [Setups]

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The person who uses this setup used to hate Apple.
The person who uses this setup used to hate Apple.
Photo: MutedStudy1881@Reddit.com

Some folks insist people never change, others say they often do. And proof of the latter shows up in today’s featured Mac Studio computer setup featuring Apple’s magnificent 6K Pro Display XDR.

It belongs to a Linux-loving software programmer who used to be strongly anti-Apple, according to her husband.

Bose busts out compact, affordable new soundbar with AirPlay 2

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The new Bose Smart Soundbar 600 is only about 2 inches high.
The new Bose Smart Soundbar 600 is only about 2 inches high.
Photo: Bose

Bose took a further step into the compact, affordable soundbar market Monday with release of its new Smart Soundbar 600. It looks set to compete in a growing pool of home-theater audio products that don’t break the bank.

Featuring Dolby Atmos, Bose “TrueSpace” and AirPlay 2 technology, the slender speaker goes for $499, Bose said.

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.

M1 Max MacBook pairs nicely with 40-inch ultra-wide display [Setups]

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No scaling issues seen here.
No scaling issues seen here.
Photo: AeGertjan@Reddit.com

Curved ultra-wide displays are all the rage lately, and it’s no wonder why. What a fantastic amount of real estate. But it can be worrisome buying one if you’re not sure how it will look with your Mac’s resolution and scaling options.

Today’s featured computer setup pairs a beast of a 16-inch M1 Max MacBook with a brilliant 40-inch LG 5K UltraWide curved display. Let’s look at how well it’s working and what some of the issues can be.