Setups - page 2

As we’ve pointed out in product news coverage and reviews, Edifier is one of those smaller companies that always seem to come across with great value. Its audio gear is solid and sounds great, but it’s on the inexpensive side of things. And that’s the case for the Edifier powered speakers in today’s MacBook Air setup. The workstation features a penguin plush toy that doesn’t just use an Edifier box as a chair, according to the user. The stuffed animal apparently rocks out, too.

These days so many people run external displays that operate as USB-C hubs that it’s getting rare to see a charger in the middle of a computer setup. But today’s MacBook Pro and Studio Display outfit features a powerful charger right in the mix — an Anker Prime Charging Station. It blasts up to 250 watts of power, works in Wi-Fi mode and features one very interesting and unusual feature.

Today’s featured M3 MacBook Pro setup comes from a user who packs not one, not two but three Mac Pro desktop computers (you know, the famously powerful and expensive ones). He uses a “trash can” Mac Pro regularly, but he’s not sure what he’ll do with the other two that he acquired recently for his Mac Pro collection, other than work on them. In the meantime, he’s got his Apple laptop, but his work makes him deal with a PC laptop most of the time, he said.

We see more laptop-based computer setups using the machine in clamshell (mode) on a vertical stand than we see setups with open laptops. But they’re both pretty popular options. Today’s M3 MacBook Air sits on a tray attached to the same arm that holds the ultra-wide external display. So they float together above the desk. That monitor arm laptop tray situation wouldn’t work for everyone, but it’s a cool way to add a second display when you need one (and you have an external keyboard so you don’t have to use the laptop’s).

It’s another thrilling Monday, so we thought we’d sex things up with everybody’s favorite scintillating subject — cable management. Sarcasm aside, it’s high on the list of things folks only love having done, not planning (and dreading) or actually doing (in half-assed ways). Anyone who’s ever been forced to clean their room can relate. So today’s easily digestible tidbit comes from a MacBook Pro user offering one simple and effective MacBook Pro cable management tip.

These days, all sort of people need a microphone in their Mac computer setup — podcasters, streamers, gamers, videoconferencers or anyone recording pretty much anything. The list goes on. Today’s featured M1 Pro MacBook pro user, a video editor, relies on the Maono PD200X dynamic microphone, which packs both XLR and USB modes, to keep his vocal work clear.

Late-model MacBook Pro laptops include a decent camera. But many users find it falls a bit short for use on their video calls, podcasts and other needs. So a display-mounted webcam creeps into many MacBook setups. Today’s MacBook Pro user relies on the well-regarded Logitech StreamCam webcam to punch up his video footage.

Coding with Magic Mouse? Apple’s sleek input device has plenty of haters of all stripes. But at least one developer, who works with an M1 Max MacBook Pro, loves it. And perhaps even more surprisingly, he detests the mouse that is surely Magic Mouse’s biggest competitor, given how it shows up in most of the setups we cover.

Run by a software developer, today’s M1 Pro MacBook Pro setup doesn’t just rock two external displays. It also features a very cool input-device duo — the mouse we see more than any other in setups, which is the Logitech MX Master 3S wireless mouse, and the super-cool NuPhy Air96 V2 Wireless Mechanical Keyboard.

Most users obsess about the main hardware they have in their computer setup, from computers to mechanical keyboards, but lighting plays a big role, too. After all, you have to be able to see what you’re doing without eye strain (and how better to snap pics and show off your rig on social media?). Today’s MacBook Pro user asked for lighting advice and got it, below.

When it comes to Mac-centric computer setups, not every external display is Apple’s 6K Pro Display XDR or 5K Studio Display — far from it. And users’ choices come in various shapes and sizes. Today’s M1 Max MacBook Pro-using developer settled on a 34-inch Alienware curved ultra-wide monitor that hits his “sweet spot.” Find out why below. And don’t miss that nostalgia-inducing iPod Classic!

Today’s setup comes from a user with two MacBooks and two external displays. They’re like to clean it up and make it more mininalistic, but they also want to add a new M2 iPad Air. So they did the sensible thing and asked social media. See how that went, below.

Lots of Mac users pump up their computer setups with pricey, high-powered speaker systems. But it doesn’t have to cost much to provide a bigger, fuller sound than most computers or monitors can provide on their own. Today’s MacBook Air user enjoys Sanyun Bookshelf Speakers, which pump out 60 watts of sound using proprietary technology, and look pretty good doing it. And you can get a pair for less than $70.

While the dual display setup has become so commonplace it seems standard, debate still rages over exactly what works best. In today’s MacBook Pro setup, a developer experiments with single- and dual-display configurations before coming to the conclusion, on the way to their one true configuration, that size really does matter more than most other considerations.

Certain names in USB-C and Thunderbolt docks and hubs carry a lot of weight, like CalDigit and Satechi — both well-respected brands. But in today’s M2 MacBook Air setup, a discussion broke out over the user’s exceptional experience with a CalDigit Thunderbolt dock and a commenter’s woes over a Satechi Thunderbolt dock. Read some of the commentary and learn more about the gear below.

If you’re serious about high-quality audio, you should crank up the quality level of audio components in your computer setup just like you do in your living room. Today’s MacBook Pro user maxes out sound using Audioengine speakers mounted on stands along with a powerful Audioengine subwoofer on the floor under the desk. So they can get clear and detailed audio at low volume, but they can also shake the whole room with powerful sound when they want.

Today’s M1 Mac mini user highly recommends a killer keyboard we rarely see in setups, from a brand we see everywhere in setups — Keychron. The maker’s popular K line of affordable keebs features a full-size mode that doesn’t show up all that often, perhaps because many folks favor smaller ones these days, eschewing the number pad.

If you keep dual displays in your setup but you stack them rather than placing them side by side, where does the webcam go? That question came up with today’s MacBook Pro setup. And the user had a surprising answer that he claims works well.

What’s better than a HomePod? Well, two HomePods, obviously — especially if they’re paired for true stereo sound. Today’s MacBook Pro and Xbox setup, under-lit for a dark and moody vibe, includes AirPods Pro 2 but gets its robust in-room audio from a set of paired HomePod minis placed on HomePod mini stands near the back corners of the desk.

In the never-ending arms race for more and bigger external displays in computer setups, one distinct subset is the ultra-wide, curved gaming monitor. Samsung is big in that game, and today’s M1 Mac mini user likes his 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 monitor, which he pairs with a couple of 32-inch 4K flat displays. And by the way, the big curved gaming monitor is deeply discounted right now on Amazon.

The user also asked for feedback on his new setup. You can see that below, too.

Many users out there on social media can’t seem to get enough external displays into their computer setups. Sometimes we see as many as six big screens. But don’t forget a simple way you can always add another small screen. Namely, don’t just add your MacBook open on the desk or on a stand. Include your iPad, too. Today’s M1 MacBook Air user proudly has his M4 iPad Pro mirror on Studio Display as it sits in the mix on a Twelve South stand.

When a MacBook Pro perched his Studio Display on a generic stand and then asked for recommendations for alternative risers for Studio Display, some Apple users reacted a bit brusquely. That’s simply not done, they seemed to say, presumably because Apple provides adjustability options as part of the purchase process. But plenty of commenters responded to the question with practical advice, below.

Macs have gained ground in the gaming world with the rise of Apple silicon chips, as those M-series chips massively boost performance. But sometimes you just want to play on a console rather than your computer. Today’s MacBook Air user switches to Xbox One for gaming. And he gave simple advice, below, to curious commenters who wanted to know how he gets the system to work with his Studio Display. He describes his method below.

On Wednesday we drooled shamelessly over an M2 Ultra Mac Pro driving a Pro Display XDR and two Studio Displays, a rig that prices out somewhere around $20,000. So on Friday it’s back to financial reality for us, none too soon. And in today’s MacBook Pro setup from a college student, part of that thrifty reality means deploying a ridiculously affordable SupTek Monitor Mount for the external display. The user recommends it. Why? It just works.

Looking at computer setups proudly flaunted on social media sometimes leads to cases of crippling envy. You may have some top-notch Apple gear, but you probably don’t possess treasures like those of today’s world-beating user: a new, high-end M2 Ultra Mac Pro, a Mac Studio, a Pro Display XDR and two Studio Displays. Sheesh. An M2 Ultra Mac Pro with Pro Display XDR is way over the top, but this rig adds another killer desktop machine as backup, plus a pair of Studio Displays!