| Cult of Mac

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).

Apple boosts iPhone, Mac and iPad trade-in values

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MacBook, iPad, iPhone and Apple Watch
Users of many Apple computers can trade them in for cash.
Photo: Apple

Apple bumped how much it will pay for trading in used products. An iPhone 13 series model now brings in as much as $600, a previous-generation iPad Air is worth up to $320, while the trade-in value for a MacBook Pro is as much as $730.

The payouts have increased up to $160 when compared to what Apple was offering last week.

Google tweaks Chrome to reduce MacBook battery drain

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The Chrome browser may soon become a more efficient MacBook battery user.
The Chrome browser may soon become a more efficient MacBook battery user.
Photo: Google/Apple

Google said Tuesday it’s making several changes to the Chrome browser to make it less of a MacBook battery hog. Modifications include adjusting timers to wake the CPU less often, tuning memory compression and further optimizing Energy Saver mode.

The company’s tests using a 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro suggest the tweaks may help folks browse for 17 hours or watch YouTube for 18 hours on a single charge.

High-end MacBook Pro sits in a forest of tall 5K displays [Setups]

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This setup's not exactly lacking for upscale 5K screen real estate, is it?
This setup's not exactly lacking for upscale 5K screen real estate, is it?
Photo: Overtime@Reddit.com

At Cult of Mac, we’re no strangers to looking at computer setups loaded with displays — even as many as six. But we’re less used to seeing certain orientations, like in today’s featured M1 MacBook Pro and custom PC setup.

The workstation seems to reach for the ceiling with four 5K displays. Two stack horizontally in landscape mode and two stand tall, shoulder-to-shoulder in portrait mode.

Here’s how you gut a whole office and start over [Setups]

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De Jong gave his computer setup -- and his whole office -- a makeover.
De Jong gave his computer setup -- and his whole office -- a makeover.
Photo: Michael De Jong

How refreshing it must be to make over your computer setup and, while you’re at it, gut and refresh your whole home office. That’s what Michael De Jong did recently. And he shared his transition with Cult of Mac.

First, he tinkered with the setup, going with dual displays and adding a soundbar and a slick gaming chair. Later he gutted the whole office and added a whole raft of upgrades. Take a look at his photos and gear, new and old, below.

How old do you have to be to still have a printer? [Setups]

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You don't see a printer right in the setup all that often. People took notice.
You don't see a printer right in the setup all that often. People took notice.
Photo: Consistent_Order5375@Reddit.com

We come across setups with printers from time to time, though they’re usually off to the side and perhaps only occasionally used. But today’s featured setup with a MacBook Air, a 2016 12-inch MacBook and a 20-inch Cinema Display keeps the printer right in the main mix.

This took some commenters by surprise. They noted why they never print anymore and grilled the user about his age, which turned out to be a lot lower number than expected.

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.

3 Macs and KVM switch keep remote worker out of trouble [Setups]

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Three Macs and a KVM switch with a big external monitor can be the perfect solution.
Three Macs and a KVM switch with a big external monitor can be the perfect solution.
Photo: gregcoit@Reddit.com

Today’s featured computer setup employs three separate Macs — MacBook Pro, M1 MacBook Air and M1 Mac mini — connecting two of them to a big external monitor using a KVM docking station.

KVM switches are handy when you don’t want to switch cables from different computers using the same monitor and input devices. But there’s another reason the user, Greg Coit, chose the method.

Snatch up these bargains on iMacs, MacBooks and iPads while they last

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You can get various versions of the 24-inch iMac, among other gear.
You can get various versions of the 24-inch iMac, among other gear.
Photo: Apple

Amazon-owned discount site Woot! is offering a slew of deals on iMacs, MacBooks and iPads through Thursday.

Some M1 laptops are already sold out, but a lot of gear remains, so jump on this if you’re in the market for Apple hardware. It’s the sort of sale that may make people wish they’d waited to buy instead of going all-in at launch.

Stunning Mac Pro rig sees massive audio upgrade [Setups]

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A pair of KEF LSX speakers on Kanto stands adds to this killer setup's high price tag.
A pair of KEF LSX speakers on Kanto stands adds to this killer setup's high price tag.
Photo: MzeRS@Reddit.com

There’s nothing like a major upgrade. Today we return to one of the most magnificent computer setups we’ve seen lately, as it somehow found a way to top itself. When you’ve already got a loaded Mac Pro, two Pro Display XDRs and a top Apple laptop and tablet, where do you go from there?

You thank the HomePod mini for its service and welcome new $1,250 speakers to the party.