| Cult of Mac

WFH gear to get when the boss pays for it [Setups]

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An M2 Max MacBook Pro and a 42-inch OLED display? Yes, please.
An M2 Max MacBook Pro and a 42-inch OLED display? Yes, please.
Photo: Swagdaddy123456@Reddit.com

Oh, what a joy to go computer-setup shopping — when your employer readily agrees to pay for everything. Today’s featured M2 Max MacBook Pro setup, which features a gorgeous 42-inch OLED smart TV as a display, came into being that very way.

Check out the setup’s gear, below, and see if that’s what you’d buy if your boss handed you a blank check.

Nursing student completes MacBook Air rig at super-low cost [Setups]

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This nursing student's setup is quite affordable.
This nursing student's setup is quite affordable.
Photo: LevitatingSponge@Reddit.com

Many computer setups check all the functionality boxes at a cost of thousands of dollars. But who doesn’t love a complete setup that comes in at bargain-basement cost? Today’s featured MacBook Air workstation seems to cover all the bases without breaking the bank for the user, a nursing student.

How is the setup so affordable? In large part, because it relies on lesser-known brands and, in some cases, older equipment.

A MacBook Pro makes a questionable monitor stand [Setups]

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It might take a moment to locate the MacBook Pro in this photo, even with the help of that nice Anglepoise desk lamp.
It might take a moment to locate the MacBook Pro in this photo, even with the help of that nice Anglepoise desk lamp.
Photo: FEmbrey@Reddit.com

Today’s featured setup carries a strong vibe of minimalism — so much so it appeared to lack even a computer, at least at a glance at the photograph. But then we realized the laptop was stashed away in unusual (and questionable) fashion.

We recently featured a setup with the MacBook Pro and iPad hidden on a little shelf mounted under the desk. This time the laptop is stashed in a case sitting directly under the monitor stand’s base (not recommended).

How fast can you spot the MacBook Pro in this super-clean rig? [Setups]

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It's an exceptionally clean setup. Even
It's an exceptionally clean setup. Even "absurdly" so, as one admirer said.
Photo: MarsMaher@Reddit.com

If there’s one thing computer-setup fans on social media value above all else, it’s a “clean” workstation. The best ones — neither messy nor cluttered with cables — place everything just so. Today’s featured MacBook Pro setup does a nice job with that.

And it even hides the laptop as well as an iPad. See how fast you can spot them. One commenter noted it took longer than it should have.

That’s one (unique) way to mount a MacBook Air [Setups]

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Want to save some space on the desk? Try mounting your laptop on a pegboard.
Want to save some space on the desk? Try mounting your laptop on a pegboard.
Photo: essayyjay@Reddit.com

In our never-ending search for interesting computer setups, we love stumbling upon good do-it-yourself (“DIY”) hacks. Today’s featured setup mounts an M1 MacBook Air on the wall in a most-unusual way. It involves a pegboard, a strap and a tablet stand designed for use in the kitchen.

In addition, the setup features a rarely seen mechanical keyboard worth checking out.

An overpowered gas arm is ready to launch this MacBook Pro [Setups]

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The bass player running this rig said the mount's gas arm is a little over-eager.
The bass player running this rig said the mount's gas arm is a little over-eager.
Photo: stephotosthings@Reddit.com

We recently talked about what a boon to computer setups stands and mounts usually are — but not when they cause problems. Today’s featured M1 MacBook Pro setup is an interesting example. The bass player who runs it said the gas-powered arm of the mount where the laptop sits is so hair-trigger it can “randomly launch it into the air.”

That’s not ideal when you have $2,000 laptop not designed for flight. The user also has a PC laptop for work, a massive 4K display and a compact mechanical keyboard and badass speakers we haven’t seen elsewhere.

Maxed-out Mac Studio drives ‘dream setup’ Down Under [Setups]

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This handsomely compartmentalized setup gets its computing power from a maxed-out Mac Studio and a MacBook Pro.
This handsomely compartmentalized setup gets its computing power from a maxed-out Mac Studio and a MacBook Pro.
Photo: vincesuarez@Reddit.com

With all the computer setups showcased on social media, it takes something special to earn the description “dream setup.” Today’s featured Mac Studio Ultra and M2 Max MacBook Pro setup, which hails from Australia, could be a contender.

Why? Well, when you combine two of Apple’s newest and most powerful computers with a Studio Display and put them in a beautifully laid out workstation with great cable management and premium audio, you’ve got a real ripsnorter (to put it like an Aussie might).

Bizarre LG DualUp display beguiles another Mac fan [Setups]

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Another oddly shaped LG DualUp monitor finds a home in a Mac setup.
Another oddly shaped LG DualUp monitor finds a home in a Mac setup.
Photo: StijnVDS@Reddit.com

When the eccentric LG DualUp display came out, its nearly square, 16:18 aspect ratio raised eyebrows. But the monitor is kind of like two displays in one, so it’s making inroads into computer setups like today’s featured MacBook Pro workstation.

The user wanted a Studio Display, but he finds the DualUp an economical alternative and then some.

Test indoor air quality with new Ikea monitor

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The monitor's launch comes in April and its HomeKit and Matter compatibility are expected via a pending Dirigera hub update.
The monitor's launch comes in April and its HomeKit and Matter compatibility are expected via a pending Dirigera hub update.
Photo: Ikea

Ikea unveiled its new indoor air-quality monitor Tuesday. With a name that sounds like a Swedish jet fighter — Vindstryka — it’s designed to help you combat pollutants in your home or office. And it will be HomeKit- and Matter-compatible through the Ikea Dirigera hub after the company updates it.

The Swedish home furnishings giant set an April launch date for the monitor but hasn’t added a price tag yet.

Triple-display MacBook Pro rig perches in attic ‘closet’ [Setups]

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A wall mount lets the huge display sit up and behind the others.
A wall mount lets the huge display sit up and behind the others.
Photo: nx10293901@Reddit.com

A room is what you make of it, and today’s featured computer setup finds a home in a room only a computer science student could make. He may have to live in a windowless attic, but he brings a lot of computing power and light to it, making it look and feel larger than it is.

Check out all the gear in the M1 Max MacBook, custom PC and triple-display outfit below.