| Cult of Mac

Small desk fits mini-but-mighty workstation [Setups]

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Small desk? No problem. You can still have a solid computer setup.
Small desk? No problem. You can still have a solid computer setup.
Photo: pale00@Reddit.com

Even a small desk can’t keep you from having a powerful computer setup — if you get the right gear and not too much of it. All it takes is a great laptop — like a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air — a vertical laptop stand, a not-gargantuan display and a minimal amount of other gear, as shown in today’s featured setup.

Oh, and consider a monitor arm rather than a stand. That helps keep the external screen out of the way.

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).

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.

13 ways to improve this dual-Studio Display workstation [Setups]

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How can we make this setup better? Let us count the ways.
How can we make this setup better? Let us count the ways.
Photo: justice675@Reddit.com

Among the everlasting truths about computer setups, first comes “a setup is never finished.” And the second might be, “A setup can always be improved.” The user behind today’s featured setup certainly found out about No. 2  when he asked for advice on how to improve his M1 Max MacBook Pro and dual-Studio Display workstation.

Find all the advice below — jokes ‘n’ all — as well as all of the setup’s excellent gear.

Dream job leads to ultimate home workstation [Setups]

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Maybe the right job will land you a tricked out MacBook Pro, Studio Display and all the other treats in this setup.
Maybe the right job will land you a tricked out MacBook Pro, Studio Display and all the other treats in this setup.
Photo: webjac@Reddit.com

Wouldn’t it be great if the right job opened the door to building a killer computer setup? It happened for design and product lead Jaime Creixems.

Today’s featured setup is his M1 Max MacBook Pro and Studio Display-driven wonderland, complete with excellent audio equipment and fun sidelights like Lego sets.

Souped up MacBook Pro centers super-symmetrical setup [Setups]

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There's nothing like a warmly lit, super-symmetrical setup.
There's nothing like a warmly lit, super-symmetrical setup -- especially if it has two Studio Displays.
Photo: drewbiez@Reddit.com

When it comes to computer setups, social media loves symmetry. People often praise perfectly symmetrical setups and plenty of folks kind of freak out if anything’s even slightly askew, often supplying their own joking references to obsessive-compulsive disorder, or OCD.

In today’s warmly lit and well-organized workstation, a high-spec MacBook Pro drives dual Studio Displays. And pairs of other items in the room contribute to the overall symmetry.

Could this MacBook Pro rig be any more Apple? [Setups]

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Even the wall art above the Studio Display is Apple -- a deconstructed iPhone.
Even the wall art above the Studio Display is Apple -- a deconstructed iPhone.
Photo: 17parkc@Reddit.com

Some computer setups are more Apple-ish than others. Apple-y. Apple-centric. Today’s featured M1 Max MacBook Pro outfit welcomes a new Studio Display to replace a recently “retired” 20-inch Cinema Display, and that’s just the start of the Cupertino madness.

Almost everything else in the setup is Apple, too. The input devices, the audio gear — even some of the wall art. And what’s in the book collection? The Cult of Mac hardcover book.

Old Cinema and Thunderbolt displays handle new gear and gaming [Setups]

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With the right adapter you can use a new Xbox with an old Cinema Display (on the right).
With the right adapter you can use a new Xbox with an old Cinema Display (on the right).
Photo: thatvirtualboy@Reddit.com

So many people love Apple gear because the Cupertino tech giant gets a lot right with its hardware. That certainly includes monitors, and not just the phenomenal Pro Display XDR and new Studio Display. We see a fair number of new computer setups relying on classic Apple screens like Cinema Display and Thunderbolt Display.

Today’s featured MacBook Pro and Xbox setup is a good example. Even with a modern gaming console — and given the right adapter — a display from a dozen years ago is still keeping it real.

M1 MacBook Pro conducts ‘ultra-minimalist’ home audio ensemble [Setups]

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Does this computer setup look
Does this computer setup look "ultra-minimalist" to you?
Photo: linked-teaparty@Reddit.com

Some computer setups are simply music to our ears — almost literally, in some cases. Today’s featured setup sees (and hears) an M1 MacBook Pro playing frontman to a band that includes a few pieces of key audio hardware and software as well as dual curved ultra-wide external displays.

And whether or not it’s “ultra-minimalist,” as stated by the user — it’s not, by almost any definition of computing minimalism — it appears relatively spare and effective.

‘Tiny beast’ M1 Mac mini drives well-lit workstation [Setups]

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The lighting's not for everyone, but some people think it's pretty cool.
The lighting's not for everyone, but some people think it's pretty cool.
Photo: DeitySoldier@Reddit.com

If you want a healthy computer setup, don’t just check off the “ergonomics” box and leave it at that. In addition to good posture, straight wrists and so on, you’re going to need good lighting to reduce eye strain. And to look good on video, too, of course.

Today’s featured M1 Mac mini setup throws the switch on a couple of lighting products we rarely see.