| 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.

Thunderbolt 4 dock helps M3 MacBook Pro share massive display and more [Setups]

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Setups with two MacBook pros and an LG smart TV
A powerful M3 MacBook and its older sibling -- an M1 Max -- play nice with a big LG smart TV via a Thunderbolt 4 dock.
Photo: Halzen@Reddit.com

Today’s featured setup packs two powerful MacBooks Pro — an M1 Max for work and an M3 Pro for play. To give them hassle-free equal time with peripherals, including a big, beautiful OLED smart TV serving as a display, the user employs a Thunderbolt 4 dock bristling with ports for maximum connectivity options.

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.

Find the perfect monitor riser for your desk [Setups]

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Mac mini setup Studio Display on monitor riser
Though most monitors come with adjustable stands, adding a monitor riser provides benefits to any computer setup.
Photo: zipzag@Reddit.com

Whether you call them monitor risers, desk shelves or display stands, finding the right one for your desk’s size can be a huge boon to your computer setup. Today’s featured Mac mini workstation benefits from a compact Balolo stand sitting toward the back of a small desk.

You can see that choice desk shelf and several other options below, along with all the setup’s gear, including a Studio Display and marvelous high-end headphones.

Stunning Mac mini streaming rig took 2 years to perfect [Setups]

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Setups RetroGameCollector-Reddit
Check the links list below to explore all the gear here.
Photo: RetroGameCollector@Reddit.com

It might seem unlikely that a computer setup could take 2 years to build and idealize — until you see just how loaded and beautiful it is. Today’s M2 Pro Mac mini went through many iterations in the past couple of years, its user said, and now they’re finally happy with it.

And they should be. The setup rips through gaming and streaming tasks using an awesome lineup of gear. Read more below and check out that gear list.

Star Wars fan converts old iMacs to Cinema Displays [Setups]

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There's a lot to look at in SE's setup, including 3D-printed
There's a lot to look at in SE's setup, including 3D-printed Star Wars figures like a BB-8 droid on the shelf next to the Xbox.
Photo: Straight_Estimate_76@Reddit.com

If you’ve got an old or damaged iMac lying around, why not make use of it? You can find plenty of guidance online to help you turn that dead weight into a version of Apple’s classic Cinema Display and use it with other Macs.

The owner of today’s setup talked about doing just that, plus using open-source software to make his old Macs run recent macOS versions.

Why choosing the right monitor light bar matters [Setups]

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The user said his $180 monitor light bar is absolutely worth it.
The user said his $180 monitor light bar is absolutely worth it.
Photo: comacow02@Reddit.com

A good external monitor like Apple’s Studio Display is an important part of a computer setup. But what about the monitor light bar that sits on top of it? They’re not all the same and they can hugely impact your workspace.

Today’s MacBook Pro setup boasts a Studio Display, and on top sits a fairly pricey BenQ monitor light. Read on the find out why the user says it’s worth every penny.

Cheap LED strip lights give coder’s MacBook rig a moody vibe [Setups]

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Two cheap LED lights strips create that whole effect, and with many light strips the colors can change endlessly.
Two cheap LED lights strips create that whole effect, and with many light strips the colors can change endlessly.
Photo: Xtraipel@Reddit.com

Deliberate lighting choices, especially those featuring vibrant colors, can do a lot for a computer setup. They can improve mood and vision, and they can even give humdrum gear in a boring room a dazzling look and feel.

Today’s featured MacBook Pro setup belongs to a coder in Panama who used some basic, cheap LED strip lights to transform his workstation into a light show — to the delight of viewers on social media.

Apple admin runs clinic with formidable M2 MacBook Pro rig [Setups]

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Start with a new 16-inch M2 MacBook Pro, a CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 dock and a huge Samsung display, and go from there.
Start with a new 16-inch M2 MacBook Pro, a CalDigit Thunderbolt 4 dock and a huge Samsung display, and go from there.
Photo: moosetender@Reddit.com

Perhaps you’ve heard an expression often used in sports commentary — “so-and-so is running a clinic on this,” meaning showing anyone and everyone how it’s done.

Today’s featured computer setup comes from an Apple administrator who clearly knows how it’s done, if “it” is setting up a rock-solid and highly functional workstation.