Setups - page 7

Many folks building a computer setup love a good trick for compartmentalizing a bit — essentially, any way they can neaten up the space in a way that enhances productivity. That could include something we don’t see often enough in setups: multi-use keyboard trays. Today’s Mac Studio user proudly displays a wooden one for Magic Keyboard mini and Magic Trackpad 2. And you can find many others out there, like the popular Twelve South MagicBridge.

Trays like that give your keyboard and trackpad — or/or mouse, in some cases — one modular place to live, and you can easily move the pair or trio around as one unit or hold it in your lap.

If you want to sound good on video calls or podcasts, you need a good mic like the Audio-Technica AT2020USB+ Microphone with shock mount in today’s MacBook Pro setup. And the user can move it around easily enough because he places it on a low-profile Elgato microphone arm.

The computer setup we feature today sports a powerful Mac Studio desktop computer and an impressive phalanx of external displays, yet commenters’ attention focused mainly on the monitor light. It’s actually an EppieBasic LED Desk Lamp rather than a typical monitor light bar, but it serves the same purposes. The user obliged commenters and explained why he loves it.

A big upgrade is a special occasion for any computer setup. And today’s featured M2 Max Mac Studio rig saw major changes recently, including a boost to audio quality courtesy of a legendary audio brand. Bowers & Wilkins MM-1 speakers joined the desktop mix.

Today’s M3 MacBook Air setup features a retro-cool speaker unlike most you’ll see in workstations. When people look beyond the laptop for sound, the usual answer is bookshelf speakers. But the doctor who runs this MacBook Air and iPad Pro setup likes an unusual choice — an Edifier desktop speaker called the MP230.

Apple doesn’t have a very long list of unpopular products or features, but whatever list of shame it may keep probably includes MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar. But not everyone hates the feature. The Python developer who runs today’s MacBook Pro setup actually loves it.

Is there a doctor in the house? There is with today’s M3 MacBook Air setup. The good doctor finds the slender laptop covers all needs, especially with an assist from an 11-inch iPad Pro, an external monitor and an unusual choice for a desktop speaker.

Perusing computer setups online, we love to point out great deals on great gear when they come along. In today’s M1 Mac mini setup, the 27-inch external 4K display looks like a gem, with great features at a low price.

The difference between a good webcam and a mediocre one can be revealing — you either look and sound good or you look and sound like crap. So if you’d rather take the professional road to quality videoconferencing and self-made videos, a good device like the Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam in today’s M1 MacBook Air is a great way to get there.

For those unfamiliar with NZXT, it’s a company based in Los Angeles that makes high-performance gaming PCs and the gear that goes with them. Today’s M1 Mac mini setup relies on a raft of NZXT devices, including a NZXT Function keyboard. It’s a customizable mechanical keeb designed for gamers with some pretty high-level functionality.

Looks like today’s computer setup user spent bigger bucks on an M2 MacBook Pro and an epic ultra-wide curved display, and smaller bucks on a good sound system. That’s smart, because you can get high-quality near-field-monitor speakers for your desktop without spending a mint — if you go with something like this user’s Edifier R1280T speakers.

There’s a lot to love about M1 MacBooks, but easy connectivity with multiple external displays isn’t on the list. So people often wonder which dock or adapter might suit their need to use one or more external displays with the laptop. Today’s M1 MacBook Air user asked for advice and got it. You can check out the three main recommendations for a good dock for MacBook Air below.

Not being huge PC gamers, we aren’t particularly familiar with NZXT, a company based in Los Angeles that makes high-performance gaming PCs and the gear that goes with them. So when we saw today’s M1 Mac mini setup looking like a giant ad for NZXT, we thought we’d give it a look. The user loves his NZXT Relay lineup of gear, including powerful speakers and a wired headset with a surprisingly functional stand.

If you want great sound out of your computer setup, you need excellent speakers, of course. But if you work with music rather than just listening to it, you also need a top audio interface for Mac to run between your computer and other gear. Today’s MacBook Pro setup incorporates one of our top picks in a recent roundup of best audio interfaces for Mac and pairs it with a nice set of Yamaha speakers.

Ever since computers like iMac G3 pulled off the trick, transparent computer gear has come in and out of style. And now transparent keyboards are having a bit of a moment. One good example is the Yunzii X75 Mechanical Keyboard seen in today’s MacBook Pro setup.

Cult of Mac‘s setups coverage loves to look at premium products, but we often emphasize value with thrifty-but-reliable gear. Today we marvel, however, at just how much one desk lamp can cost. Our MacBook Pro user places a $650 Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk Light on a very nice Vari sit-stand desk.

Do people really pay that much for a lamp? Even our user claims it was a gift, not a purchase.

While many computer setups shown off on social media look suspiciously immaculate, the truth is we tend to live at our desks and make a big mess of them routinely. Stuff just piles up. But a great way to keep your workstation clean and organized is to deploy one of the best fixes — a pegboard for setup storage.

With pegboards, you can put practically anything right on your wall, like today’s MacBook Pro user does. We’ve seen some pretty strong negative reactions to them, but there’s no denying their effectiveness.

At Cult of Mac, we love great audio. So when a computer setup comes along on social media showing off a killer system, we love to feature it. Today’s M3 Pro MacBook Pro setup kicks out the jams — we also love obscure references to cult-favorite bands of yesteryear — with Audioengine A2 Plus speakers and a Kanto Sub6 subwoofer.

So, as nice as the MacBook Pro’s six speakers may be, they don’t have a chance against that sound system.

Not everybody needs, wants or can afford an Apple display. Luckily, many good options abound for use with a Mac, including the 34-inch BenQ Ultrawide Creator Monitor featured in today’s exceptionally nice M3 Pro MacBook Pro setup. And it’s ideally situated on a handsome Oakywood dual-monitor stand.

Some people are happy typing away on quiet membrane keyboards like Apple’s Magic Keyboard. Others are obsessed with pimping out their clickity-clackety mechanical keebs with the exact key caps, switches and design flourishes they prefer. Today’s M3 Pro MacBook Pro setup goes for the latter style with a Keychron Q2 custom mechanical keyboard.

It’s an excellent, moderately affordable option in a crowded market.

Some computer setups just seem to have it all. Today’s featured workstation sports a new M3 Pro MacBook Pro with hefty amounts of memory and storage, plus a speedy Thunderbolt 4 dock connected to a well-curated selection of peripherals. Even the gear stands and furniture are especially nice.

Some people don’t amp up the sound in their computer setups simply because they lack room for the speakers. So they just use their computer or monitor speakers. But what if somebody made tiny but powerful speakers that could fit almost anywhere? Somebody did — Gallo Acoustics Micro Speakers. And today’s Mac Studio setup uses them for rich sound.

When one commenter saw today’s Mac Studio workstation, they said “Setup so clean it looks AI generated. I like it.” Well, we also like the Mac Studio and custom PC setup, especially for its innovative use of a portable display alongside its main external display, which is a killer gaming monitor we’ve never seen before.

For folks who work with color, like graphic designers, a monitor’s color accuracy becomes crucial. Today’s M1 Max MacBook Pro user really likes their BenQ 4K display for its fantastic color reproduction in photo and video editing.

If you use your computer setup for podcasting, streaming, gaming or just a whole bunch of video calls, you may have a microphone in your face a lot. It’s great to easily move it out of the way when you’re not speaking into it, of course. And for that you need a reliable boom arm. Today’s M1 Max MacBook Pro user swears by his Logitech G Compass microphone boom arm.