Redditor jackwong343 knows how to keep his work computing and his personal use separate — even within a clean, spare and capable computer setup. It all starts with an M1 MacBook Pro for work and an M1 Mac mini for play, and never the twain shall meet.
Dock connects 5 displays to M1 MacBook Pro in ultrawide rig [Setups]
Redditor Parmg100 runs his M1 MacBook Pro with enough displays to make most Mac owners do a doubletake. He said he manages to connect five displays, including two ultrawide monitors. Naturally, Redditors showed some curiosity about how he does it, given the MacBook Pro’s limitation on connecting external displays.
Going from a tricked-out 27-inch iMac to an M1 MacBook Air [Setups]
Redditor 1st_thing_on_my_mind posted about replacing the main machine in his computer setup. He swapped out a 2017 27-inch iMac stacked with 64GB of RAM in favor of a 2020 MacBook Air flexing 16GB of integrated memory. “THATS A DOWNGRADE” hollered one commenter.
And yet the switch pretty much worked out for 1st_thing.
iMac-based gaming rig shows off RGB lighting [Setups]
Redditor MalTheNotSoGentleman said he posted a photo and description of his iMac-based computer setup with three computers and three displays because of a paucity of RGB-lit Mac setups on Reddit. So now there’s at least one more. And it comes pretty loaded.
M1 Mac mini powers funky audio-centric workstation [Setups]
Redditor MacSources, aka Nicholas Calderone, is a photographer, writer, editor and co-founder of MacSources.com. He runs a Mac mini at the center of his formidable dual-monitor computer setup. The workstation’s audio and storage components seem particularly epic.
LG 32-inch UltraFine OLED Pro Monitor takes on Apple Pro Display XDR
The LG 32” UltraFine Display OLED Pro Monitor is a new option for creative professionals who need a top-tier display. It offers a million-to-one contrast ratio and a very wide color gamut.
The screen is aimed at the same market as Apple’s Pro Display XDR. And has a price tag to match.
Sometimes it’s what’s under the desk that counts [Setups]
At a glance you can see that Redditor iEdwinT’s computer setup is spare and neat. You might call it elegant. How does he do it? That’s really down to what you can’t see — a fairly simple but effective cable management operation going on under the desk.
Should you put a keyboard cover on a MacBook Pro? [Setups]
When a computer setup is as clean and spare as Redditor whatsyourname’s, the eye tends to go to the most unusual item. In this case, it’s probably the colorful keyboard cover on the MacBook Pro, making it look like some other model of laptop.
And, of course, what did commenters most want to talk about in the setup? That thing. Naturally, a little bit of a debate ensued. Should you use a keyboard cover on a MacBook at all?
Think vertical? Keep your Mac mini safely out of the way. [Setups]
Redditor mnsl0826 decided to save some space by standing up his M1 Mac mini vertically at the base of his monitor, rather than laying it flat. It worked for him, but posting about it on Reddit generated heaps of concern about whether you’re supposed to do that.
No need to overthink it (or overpay for it) [Setups]
Redditor floridatastic, who probably dwells in The Sunshine State, said they spent a while as a “serial lurker” on the macsetups subreddit. But after rebuilding a home workstation centered on an M1 MacBook Air, the time came to to take the gear public.
If you can’t afford Apple’s Pro Display XDR, then what? [Setups]
Gorgeous, high-definition monitors hold a place of honor in many a computer setup. And sometimes it’s several displays, actually. But we rarely come across one of the most amazing monitors out there: the Apple Pro Display XDR. Why? Well, it costs $6,000, for one thing. Or, if you’re lucky, not quite that much.
So if you’re not a wealthy or financially irresponsible person, what’s a reasonable alternative to the Pro Display XDR?
‘Deviant’ creates clean setup with classic and modern touches [Setups]
Redditor DeviantSubrbanKid, based in the Philippines, knows how to impress a few computer setup mavens on social media. Make the workstation clean, tasteful and functional. And then add some weird or interesting touches.
Make your M1 MacBook Air setup as light as, um, air [Setups]
Many people have a thing for clean, simple computer setups where distractions are minimized and productivity — of whatever type — is maximized. Redditor CosmicCrispApple seems to find a Zen-like state simply by emphasizing the color white with some black contrast on the desk.
But it’s really not that simple. You also have to keep things, well, simple. And if you do it right, your setup can look and feel as light as air.
Apple will buy LG smartphones to attract more iPhone switchers
Apple will now give you credit toward an iPhone when you trade in an eligible smartphone from LG. A total of four different devices are accepted right now, with up to $180 on offer.
The move comes just months after LG announced it is exiting the smartphone business. The South Korean firm will not release any new handsets following years of sales declines and losses.
M1 Mac mini usurps Mac Pro and tops MBP in super-widescreen rig [Setups]
A lot of folks eagerly await new MacBook Pro models, preferably with updated M1 chips. You know, the ones not introduced at WWDC as predicted? In the meantime, plenty of people are snapping up the affordable and reportedly fabulous M1 Mac mini. We’ve seen it over and over again in our far-flung travels among Setups online.
When the only way to go is up [Setups]
Some computer setups are a little like Manhattan. When you have nowhere else to build horizontally, the only way to go is vertical. Hence the monitor tower seen in Redditor xelferz’s MacBook Pro-and iPad Air-based workstation.
Pressed into the corner of a narrow room with a vaulted ceiling, xelferz’s setup stacks a 34-inch LG ultrawide display on top of a 49-inch, curved ultrawide LG display. A webcam sits on top of the lower screen. The whole thing looks a bit like a tree.
Confessions of a former Mac hater [Setups]
Sure, it may be overstating things to call Redditor gnophy a former “Mac hater.” After all, he only said he used to be “anti-Mac” and he “couldn’t get along with the OS.”
Well, good news for Apple. He’s finally been assimilated. And it only took many, many years to subdue the software engineer and musician.
M1 MacBook Air handles dual external monitors [Setups]
One of the downsides you hear about the M1 MacBook Air and the M1 MacBook Pro is that they officially (natively) support just one external display in addition to the laptop’s screen, not dual external monitors.
Well, that may be true in the user manual. But Redditor ImajiiMac is among those discovering that “official” ain’t everything.
You, too, can achieve pleasing symmetry and soft lighting [Setups]
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.
First-time MacBook fan runs a tight ship, sees M1 on horizon [Setups]
These days, the M1-processor Macs are calling to a lot of people, and Redditor KhanathanJr is no exception. He’s a first-time MacBook fan wielding a formidable 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro packing an 8-core Intel i9 processor, 16 GB of RAM and a reasonably good graphics card, but … you know.
It may not retain its commanding position in the setup for much longer.
Amazing retro-innovation draws adulation [Setups]
If you look at enough computer setups, you get used to seeing the amazing technology that impresses people on social media sites. But then, sometimes the cool innovation, or let’s say killer retro-innovation, is just an unfamiliar form of whiteboard with dry-erase notes scribbled on it.
Redditor TheCrunks has an admirably capable but compact setup with plenty of tech to like.
Dress it up with a deconstructed iPhone, a drone and custom wallpapers [Setups]
It’s only Monday, but Dutch videographer, designer and web production artist Dion Tavenier probably wins this week’s award for setup design. Cool, spare, architectural — get the Museum of Modern Setups on the phone!
If only there was such a museum. Or such an award.
Small desk plus small room does not equal small setup [Setups]
After toiling for many months to get it right, Southeast Asia-based Redditor vostok91 finally finished fitting a vibrant computer setup on a small desk in a small room. The result may be a small setup compared to some, but that doesn’t make it a “small setup.” It’s plenty feisty.
A 15-inch MacBook Pro paired with an LG 32UL950 Ultrafine 4K LED Monitor make up the setup’s core.
New display makes WFH and gaming rig pop [Setups]
Redditor and commercial editor nicknotes posted their work-and-game-from-home setup with a lot of praise for a slick new display. It’s the monitor used mainly for work, which appears to be well-paired with the one already in place for gaming.
Paired-HomePod-mini fan gets earful about cable management [Setups]
On social media, crowing about the beautiful computer setup you finally finished putting together can be a risky gambit. Because, you know, people. They might just gleefully and repeatedly point out small flaws in your masterpiece as if they’re the main thing. Picky, picky, picky.