| Cult of Mac

Fab office remodel suits MacBook Pro and massive display [Setups]

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The accent wall and solid-wood DIY standing desk steal the show from the M2 MacBook Pro and 49-inch curved display.
The accent wall and solid-wood DIY standing desk steal the show from the M2 MacBook Pro and 49-inch curved display.
Photo: JZAGA053@Reddit.com

When you remodel your home office, isn’t that a great excuse to revamp the ol’ computer setup? That’s what happened with today’s featured rig, which relies on a new MacBook Pro and a Samsung super-ultra-wide display.

But all commenters wanted to talk about was the accent wall and the solid-wood DIY standing desk. And the killer Klipsch audio got some love, too.

This is how you make your computer setup a thing of beauty [Setups]

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It took months to put together this well-put-together setup.
It took months to put together this well-put-together setup.
Photo: Sygnul@Reddit.com

There’s nothing like stained wood to make a computer setup look like a class act. Today’s featured M1 Max MacBook Pro and custom PC workstation places those powerful machines on shelves off to the side that more-or-less match the desk.

Relocating the computers makes more room on the beautiful wooden desktop, which ups the quality even further with a handsome wooden desk shelf for the external display and other items.

Fun ‘overly complicated diagram’ lays out complex MacBook Pro rig [Setups]

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At a glance it doesn't look overly complex, but wait'll you see the diagram.
At a glance it doesn't look overly complex, but wait'll you see the diagram.
Photo: ReportoDownvoto@Reddit.com

Getting a complex computer setup just-so can be a daunting experience for even seasoned users. Maybe somebody should create a diagram or something? Well, someone did, making a highly capable MacBook Pro-and-PC setup with external display, storage, audio and more look even more complicated than it really is.

The sleekly executed diagram delighted viewers on social media. Check it out below.

Major workstation makeover covers all bases [Setups]

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The nearly maxed-out M1 MacBook Pro is on a shelf out of frame.
The nearly maxed-out M1 MacBook Pro is on a shelf out of frame.
Photo: nicknotes@Reddit.com

We often see big upgrades to setups we’ve covered here in the past. But they’re not usually comprehensive, where everything from the daily-driver Mac to the input devices to the audio gear gets made over (and in some cases greatly expanded).

Let’s just say today’s featured MacBook Pro setup looked a lot different 2 years ago. It’s more evidence that a setup is never, ever “done.”

OWC’s new high-speed Thunderbolt dock takes 11 useful ports on the road [Review] ★★★★

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OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock review★★★★
OWC's latest dock includes Thunderbolt 4 ports plus USB-A, HDMI and more.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The OWC Thunderbolt Go Dock was designed to be taken on trips, which is unusual for a hub that uses this extremely fast connection standard. While portable, it still has room for eleven ports in a range useful types, including Thunderbolt 4 (of course), USB-A, HDMI, USB-C and more.

I put the dock through a series of real-world tests to see how well it performs.

This tiny 1 TB SSD connects to all your computers [Review] ★★★★★

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OWC Envoy Pro mini review★★★★★
OWC Envoy Pro mini is both a small thumbdrive and a powerful external SSD.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

The OWC Envoy Pro mini is a small external SSD with both USB-C and USB-A connectors so it works with Mac and iPad but also Windows, Android and more. It’s rugged, fast and comes with up to 1TB of storage.

I ran the tiny drive through a battery of tests. It passed with flying colors.

Is this ‘every MacBook Pro user’s standard setup?’ [Setups]

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A new Studio Display completes the setup, joining a MacBook Pro and a raft of excellent audio gear.
A new Studio Display completes the setup, joining a MacBook Pro and a raft of excellent audio gear.
Photo: Leftover-Waffle@Reddit.com

You, like many people, may build your computer setup around a MacBook Pro. But is yours the “standard setup” for MacBook Pro users?

If you answered “there’s no such thing,” you’re right. That’s why we were surprised to see a reference to such a standard in reaction to a setup with a MacBook Pro, a new Studio Display, an excellent CalDigit dock and a raft of excellent audio gear that not everyone has or even knows about. But maybe they should.

OWC’s rugged, waterproof SSD with Thunderbolt expands to 4TB capacity

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OWC Envoy Pro FX was unveiled at CES 2021.
The OWC Envoy Pro FX portable SSD is designed for the urban jungle or a chaotic movie set.
Photo: OWC

The OWC Envoy Pro FX is a very rugged external SSD that previously topped out at 2TB, but is now available with 4TB of storage capacity.

The solid state drive is dustproof, drop-proof, and waterproof. It’s compatible with Mac, iPad, and many other devices. Plus, it supports Thunderbolt as well as USB connections.

OWC’s Mac mini-size Thunderbolt hub also adds terabytes of storage [Review] ★★★★★

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OWC MiniStack STX★★★★★
The OWC MiniStack STX is designed to stack with a Mac mini and add ports and storage capacity.
Photo: OWC

The OWC MiniStack STX is just the right size to stack with a Mac mini. The hub adds three Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports that can be hooked to high-resolution displays and external drives.

It also includes bays for SATA and/or NVMe M.2 drives. That’s space for up to 18TB of storage. Install your own drives or buy them from OWC.

I put the powerful accessory for Mac or iPad to the test over several weeks of daily use.