Mac mini - page 4

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.

This sick rig sports 9 Macs and 3 Apple displays [Setups]

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Can you picture needing 9 Macs, including 3 top-shelf machines?
Can you picture needing 9 Macs, including 3 top-shelf machines?
Photo: Dalvenjha@Reddit.com

Occasionally a computer setup displayed on social media makes you swoon. Usually it’s a combination of amazing gear, artful arrangement and exceptional photography, like something staged by a pro. But sometimes it’s just a sick amount of awesome Apple computers and displays.

Today’s featured setup, run by a consultant who “works for several companies,” relies on four high-spec Macs, five very-nice-but-not-exceptional Macs and three Apple Displays, including a Pro Display XDR — which goes for $5,000 or more by itself.

Does your wallet hurt yet? We just took ours to the ER.

Mac mini should shrink down into a keyboard

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Next Mac mini should be just a keyboard
A future Mac mini should look like this.
Photo: Apple

There’s no reason the Mac mini has to take up unnecessary desk space. Apple can and should build the entire computer into the keyboard. The result would minimize clutter, making it an ideal computer for anyone living in tight quarters. And it would be quite portable.

It’s completely possible with tech Apple has now. Here’s how.

‘Look, ma, no Mac mini’ (but yes, crazy keyboard and backward trackpad) [Setups]

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The Mac mini is mounted behind the monitor. And, yeah, the Magic Trackpad in the middle of the split keyboard is backwards on purpose.
The Mac mini is mounted behind the monitor. And, yeah, the Magic Trackpad in the middle of the split keyboard is backwards on purpose.
Photo: sampledecoration@Reddit.com

Sometimes you see one thing that seems quietly radical about a computer setup, only to find out it’s full of even weirder tweaks.

Today’s featured setup is a good example. It hides a Mac mini behind a display. But in front of the display, a wildly split mechanical keyboard surrounds a Magic Trackpad turned backward — on purpose!

How do you fix that wobbling screen? [Setups]

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A wobbling monitor will drive you mad in short order.
A wobbling monitor will drive you mad in short order.
Photo: csDarkyne@Reddit.com

Imagine buying a massive new ultra-wide, curved monitor to display what you do on your Macs in style. But once you get it all set up, the monstrous thing won’t stop wobbling.

Today’s featured M1 MacBook Pro and Mac mini setup suffers just that problem, despite the use of a recommended monitor arm attached to a solid standing desk.

Check out the advice the user got and all the gear in play below.

Powerful but tiny M1 Mac mini drops to lowest price yet

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Mac shipments skyrocket as pandemic drags on
M1 Mac mini has dropped to an irresistibly low price.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s tiny yet powerful M1 Mac mini is again down to its lowest-ever price on Amazon. This is for the 512GB variant that is available for $749.99, down from its $899 retail price.

The listing page only has a $30 discount, with the additional $119.01 discount automatically applied at checkout.

This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.

6-screen M1 Mac mini mission control looks like art [Setups]

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The M1 Mac mini isn't pictured, but you can't miss the dual 34-inch displays, two iPads and an Echo Show 5.
The M1 Mac mini isn't pictured, but you can't miss the dual 34-inch displays, two iPads and an Echo Show 5.
Photo: darushe@Reddit.com

Some computer setups are so strikingly beautiful they look like art installations. That tends to happen more with multiple-display setups because the imagery on the screens really adds to the aesthetic impact.

Today’s featured M1 Mac mini setup makes a visual statement using six displays, including two ultra-wide monitors and two iPads, plus some clever backlighting.

Why Apple never shipped M1 Mac Pro when it was ready

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Mac shipments skyrocket as pandemic drags on
'M2 Extreme' Mac Pro could launch later this year.
Photo: Apple

Apple reportedly had an M1-powered Mac Pro ready to ship months ago but decided against launching it. Instead, the company decided to unveil an M2 Extreme-powered version later this year.

The Cupertino giant is seemingly also not working on redesigning the Mac mini anytime soon.

Cable management doesn’t have to be a horrible chore [Setups]

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"Cables? What cables?" asked one commenter.
Photo: junger128@Reddit.com

Sometimes you see a pristine computer setup flaunted on social media and you think, how is that even real? Is it staged? Is it a render? At the very least, it looks like they left out all the cables for the photograph. But that’s not necessarily the case.

A lot of us live with messy setups, in part due to cable clutter. But neatening things up doesn’t have to be next-to impossible, as today’s featured Mac mini setup demonstrates.

Bring your 2010 Mac back to life with Chrome OS Flex

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Chrome OS Flex turns 2009 MacBook into a useful computer again
Transform your old Mac into a Chromebook with Chrome OS Flex
Photo: Google

Google’s Chrome OS Flex is now ready to revive Macs that are too elderly to run the latest macOS version. That includes models as far back as 2010. It turns the Mac into a Chromebook, but at least it’s an up-to-date one.

The free OS is targeted at businesses and schools, but it might become a way for individuals to bring some new life to their obsolete Macs.

Production woes result in severe drop in Mac shipments

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Apple Final Cut Pro updated for latest M1 processors
Shipments fell far short of demand for the Mac Studio this spring.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s struggle to get computers assembled in China during COVID lockdowns this spring had the expected result: Mac shipments dropped 22.5% in the spring quarter of 2022, according to a market-research firm.

At least company execs can take solace from the fact that this is not a demand problem. Consumers want to buy Macs but Apple can’t supply them.

M3 MacBook Air could arrive in 2023 in two screen sizes

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WWCC22: The new M2 MacBook Air comes in four colors.
Apple could offer M3 MacBook Air with 13-inch and 15-inch displays.
Photo: Apple

Apple could launch a new MacBook Air powered by a faster M3 processor as soon as next year.

The company also has a bunch of other Macs due for launch later in 2022 or early 2023. They will run on Apple’s new M2 chip, which powers the new 13-inch MacBook Pro as well as the upcoming M2 MacBook Air set for July launch, or the M2’s more powerful Pro/Ultra/Extreme variations.

Mac mini rig’s monster monitor pushes standing desk to limit [Setups]

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That 38-inch monitor is almost too much for the standing desk to handle.
That 38-inch monitor is almost too much for the standing desk to handle.
Photo: json12@Reddit.com

In a world of ever-increasing monitor sizes (and weights), you need a pretty tough, supportive desk — especially if it’s a motorized one for sitting or standing. Otherwise, the whole thing might wobble all over the place under the combined, imbalanced weight of your fabulous gear.

Today’s featured Mac mini computer setup copes with an electric desk that struggles under the weight of a behemoth of a curved ultra-wide monitor.

Mac mini with Apple M2 processor appears on retailer website

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Apple M1 Mac mini
A Mac mini with a faster M2 chip could be right around the corner.
Photo: Apple

An unannounced Mac mini is now listed on the B&H website, though without full product details. The desktop’s most eye-catching feature is an Apple M2 processor, which also has not yet been announced.

In addition, the retailer lists a “Mac mini Tower” running an M1 Pro. Both products are labeled as “New Item – Coming Soon.”

Would this dual Studio Display rig be your ‘dream setup?’ [Setups]

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This is someone's dream setup. Is it yours?
This is someone's dream setup. Is it yours?
Photo: reinler@reddit.com

You look at enough computer setups online and you realize people are never really done with them. There’s always something to add. It could be some gear got held up by shipping delays, or the setup’s owner got a sudden urge to try another type of input device or some other gadget. And people often take ages to tame the cable clutter.

So you rarely see people claiming a setup’s done for good. Or it’s the best it can be. Or it’s the proverbial “dream setup.”

But sometimes they say that. Today’s setup got called a “dream setup” by its proud owner. Would you agree?

This M1 Mac mini deal is too good to miss [It’s back!]

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The Mac mini M1 on the right may not be living up to house audio standards.
Grab the M1 Mac mini at its lowest price ever
Photo: skylar_schutz@Reddit

Looking to get the best possible deal on the M1 Mac mini? Amazon is just brought back its whopping $129 discount on the machine. That means you pay just $569.99 — down from the Mac mini’s retail price of $699.

A coupon, automatically applied at checkout for a limited time, makes this the lowest price for the M1 Mac mini so far.

Traveling musician takes his Mac mini rig on the road [Setups]

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It beats paying for a MacBook Pro. Or does it?
It beats paying for a MacBook Pro. Or does it?
Photo: violinfiddleman@Reddit.com

Apple products are famously not cheap. So much so that some people will go to considerable lengths to avoid shelling out for a new MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or iPad with keyboard. Today’s featured computer setup belongs to a traveling musician (famously not rich).

He takes his Mac mini on the road with him. Of course, with a Mac mini, you also need some sort of display and input devices, as in a keyboard and a mouse or trackpad. And you have to find room and set it all up wherever you lay your head.

Is it worth it? For some people, it is. We’ll explain why.

Apple shows off sound artists’ use of Macs for Star Wars Day

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At Skywalker Ranch, Skywalker Sound’s world-class artists create the world’s most recognizable sounds for films like the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.
At Skywalker Ranch, Skywalker Sound’s world-class artists create the world’s most recognizable sounds for films like the "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" franchises.
Photo: Apple

Happy Star Wars Day — even if you didn’t know that was a thing. Apple is celebrating the nerdy holiday by showcasing the widespread use of Macs and iOS devices at Skywalker Sound.

Festivities include the release of a “Behind the Mac” YouTube video and feature article about the audio artists at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, along with a special online “Today at Apple” session about creating Star Wars sound effects.

Studio Display setup dresses to the nines in silver and black [Setups]

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The Studio Display now has silver-and-black peripherals and a MacBook Pro rather than a Mac mini.
Silver-and-black peripherals have joined the Studio Display and MacBook Pro in this setup.
Photo: techsteveo@Reddit.com

There are two types of people in the world. There’s the person who happily tosses a bunch of mismatched gear on a desk and calls it a setup. Then there’s the person with properly placed objects, minimal-to-no cable clutter and careful color choices — down to the charging-pad-and-braided-cable level.

Today’s featured setup clearly belongs to the second type of person.

Mac mini rig enjoys maximum display space plus The Max Stand [Setups]

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That's a massive amount of screen real estate.
That's a massive amount of screen real estate.
Photo: lta205@Reddit.com

When a computer setup sports massive curved and stacked displays, it can be easy to miss other details. Today’s featured Mac mini setup features a 32-inch curved monitor sitting on top of a super-ultra-wide screen spanning a jaw-dropping 49 inches.

But a tiny object sitting off to the right in the photograph quietly steals the limelight. Look at what the AirPods Max headphones are sitting on.

Telling a marvelous Mac mini workstation story in pictures [Setups]

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The computer setup was updated this month and it couldn't be much nicer.
The computer setup was updated this month and it couldn't be much nicer.
Photo: carrotcakeblack@Reddit.com

A picture is worth a thousand words, they say. So today’s M1 Mac mini-driven computer setup, with eight smashing photos, must be roughly equivalent to 8,000 words. But instead of burying you in a horrible cascade of text, we’ll let the pictures tell most of the elegant rig’s story.

The newly updated setup has some exceedingly nice touches. Each of the photos below includes a little commentary.

First Macs with M2 processor might take the stage at WWDC22

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Apple M2 chipset
The M2 processor could be a highlight of WWDC22.
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac
WWDC22 - Brought to you by CleanMyMac X

The wait for a redesigned MacBook Air with an M2 processor will be over soon, if a tipster is correct. The notebook will supposedly be announced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June. And a version of the Mac mini with the M2 allegedly will be unveiled at the same time.

If true, these will be the first Macs with the improved replacement for Apple’s M1 processor.

Simple Mac mini workstation packs more than meets the eye [Setups]

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This computer setup simply has more in it than there appears.
This computer setup simply has more in it than there appears.
Photo: curious_being512@reddit.com

At a glance, today’s featured computer setup appears simpler than it really is. It showcases a Mac mini, a pair of mounted monitors and some typical-looking input devices. A row of water bottles stands to the right because the owner, who lives in India, is big on hydration as summer hits the subcontinent.

But there’s more to the setup than meets the eye. And some of it escapes the camera’s lens.

Apple preps 9 Macs with new M2 processor

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M2 MacBook Pro
Is a new M2 chip right around the corner?
Image: Apple/Cult of Mac

Apple reportedly has half a dozen Macs with the next-generation M2 processor in testing. These are a mix of MacBooks and desktops.

Some supposedly will arrive later in 2022, but Apple won’t release the rest until 2023.

Is it OK to use a Mac mini as a stand for your display? [Setups]

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Is it OK to rest your display on top of your Mac mini?
Is it OK to rest your display on top of your Mac mini?
Photo: techsteveo@Reddit.com

We’ve written about storing a Mac mini in an upright rather than a flat position to save space. It’s OK to do if the machine’s intake and exhaust vents are not blocked. But what about using your Mac mini as a stand for a display, as in today’s featured computer setup?

It’s not necessarily quite as cut-and-dried as the upright mini question. Whether it’s totally fine or a little risky depends a little more on the specific Mac mini and the kind of monitor you use.