| Cult of Mac

No more confusion: Most MacBook Pro models do support multiple external displays

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2023 MacBook Pro in 16-inch and 14-inch versions
The 2023 MacBook Pro can handle up to four external displays.
Image: Apple

I occasionally run across someone criticizing Apple because MacBook Pro supports only a single external display. But that’s a limitation of only a couple of MBP models — most recent ones can connect to many more.

It affected the first professional-grade MacBook with Apple silicon, which is probably why people are still confused today. Current models support two or more external screens, with one weird exception.

Why the Mac Pro might lack upgradable RAM and eGPUs

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Why the Mac Pro might lack upgradable RAM and eGPUs
The 2023 Mac Pro won't be simply the 2019 model with a different processor. The new one will be far less upgradable.
Image: Cult of Mac

The much-anticipated 2023 Mac Pro will almost certainly lack features considered critical for workstations: upgradable RAM and support for eGPUs. But this isn’t Apple blindly making an error — it’s an inescapable fact of the M-series’ unified memory architecture.

The limitation isn’t new: it’s been known since the M1 processor was announced. But the imminent release of a top-tier macOS workstation is shining a spotlight on the problem.

For those who weren’t paying attention back in 2020, here’s an explanation of why RAM upgrades and plug-in GPU likely aren’t an option for the 2023 Mac Pro.

Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale knocks $200 off M1 MacBook Air price

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MacBook Air M1 2020
The M1 MacBook Air is once again available for its lowest price ever.
Photo: Leander Kahney/Cult of Mac

Apple’s older but still powerful M1 MacBook Air is discounted by a whopping $200 for Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale. The laptop carries an MSRP of $999, but you can save $200 and get it for $799 after the discount.

This is among the lowest prices Apple’s M1 MacBook Air has dropped to in recent months. Despite its age, the machine promises all-day battery life and has enough power for everyday use.

M1 Mac mini marshals 3 dazzling displays [Setups]

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Using Running two ultra-wide displays and a portable monitor with an M1 Mac mini isn't very difficult.
Using Running two ultra-wide displays and a portable monitor with an M1 Mac mini isn't very difficult.
Photo: HungarianHammerDerby@Reddit.com

We’ve covered many a computer setup with multiple displays, even as many as six. But we don’t come across many purpose-built portable displays, perhaps because iPads often serve that purpose.

But today’s featured gaming setup uses an M1 Mac mini to drive two LG UltraWide monitors and a 15.6-inch Full HD portable screen, claiming no lag or latency.

The secret? Well, as is often the case, it’s in the hub.

Microsoft Teams adds native Apple silicon support at long last

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Microsoft Teams is getting native support for M1 and M2 Macs ... pretty soon.
Microsoft Teams is getting native support for M1 and M2 Macs ... pretty soon.
Photo: Microsoft

Apple first said it would transition from Intel chips to Apple silicon more than 2 years ago. Then Cupertino launched the first M1 Mac in November 2020. And, finally, today Microsoft said its Teams app will now run natively on M1 and M2 Macs.

So it’s about time.

But don’t get greedy and expect the upgrade immediately. The Redmond tech giant said the rollout to users will be incremental.

Apple M2 is fast, but not faster than M1 Pro or M1 Max

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Apple's M1 vs. M2.
The Apple M2 outperforms the M1, but not the other processors in the M1 series.
Photo: Apple

The first real-world benchmark tests of Apple’s M2 chip show that the just-launched processor is about 20% faster than the original M1. That’s welcome news for anyone in the market for a MacBook or iPad in the next few years.

But the newest chip does not offer better performance than Apple’s M1 Pro or M1 Max from 2021. That will have to wait for advanced versions of the M2 expected to launch in 2023.