r/macsetups

Finally got my setup to a point I’m really happy with.
Running a MacBook + PC combo for school and gaming. Tried to keep it clean and simple (Minimal setup for school + gaming, any advice/suggestions?)

Feels like it’s missing something though, open to any recomendations (lighting, accessories, layout, etc)

Finally upgraded my mobile office to Nano-Texture screens - this is a game changer for working on the go, poolside, outside, in the car etc. If you’re in doubt, don’t be - it looks incredible on both devices. Check out what a difference it makes in how readable everything is in these photos.

I use these machines to run a private music lesson school, prepare backing tracks for live performances (light Logic Pro stuff), reading music on stage and at home, writing music, etc.

New Rig:

Main: 16” MacBook Pro M5 Pro 24GB w/ Nano-Texture Display

Second Screen: 13” iPad Pro M5 w/ Nano-Texture Tandem OLED Display on the Magic Keyboard

Old Rig:

Main: 16” MacBook Pro M1 Pro 32GB (standard glossy screen)

Second Screen: 3rd Generation iPad Pro (A12X bionic, standard glossy screen) on the Smart Keyboard Folio

I have a 12pm meeting but I’ll respond before and after :)

I’ve been embracing minimalism lately. Minimalism to me isn’t all about reducing. It’s more about not overconsuming. Here are some of my minimalist choices.

I don’t want a Thunderbolt 5 dock.

I have 4 Thunderbolt 5 ports on my laptop, plus HDMI, an SD card reader, and an audio jack. I’d just be buying a dock to replace the perfectly good ports already on my laptop, and then I’d have to deal with an extra cable and an extra power cable. I have a USB dongle on the back of my monitor that handles ethernet and the receiver for my mouse. It also charges my laptop at 90W.

I don’t ever use my laptop in clamshell mode.

It seems like a waste to close the lid when my MacBook has a nice 120Hz ProMotion display, good sounding speakers, a keyboard I like, and the best laptop trackpad I’ve felt.

Some small design choices I made:

Table legs were taking up leg room and reducing table space, so I made a floating table. Lighting was uneven, and the lamp was taking up desk space, so I put an LED strip on the inner edge of the nook. The LED strip now illuminates the items on the shelf. I installed a wall mount monitor arm to clear visual clutter when my laptop is closed. The top shelf is made from the same butcher block as the table. I added a desk clamp outlet since I work with raspberry pi's and other gadgets that I need to plug in. Now I don't need to climb under my desk to power other items. One of my favorite minimalist purchases was my 1 gallon Yeti. I fill it up once and try to drink it in the span of two days. Now I don't walk back and forth to the fridge to fill up small cups.

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I change up my desk theme every couple months and right now it's all sunset tones. Same warm gradient on my monitor, MacBook Air, and the little screen on my anker prime 160w charger behind my laptop. Even my iPad is just sitting there on flip clock duty matching the vibe. I uploaded a sunset loop to the charger through the app so it blends right into everything instead of just showing numbers. I know it's a small detail but having every screen tied together color-wise makes the whole desk feel way more put together than it actually is.

Running my whole marketing agency and team on this setup

Items used in this image: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1t9p4uKdrkQmX5Vr_U3IpegZK6l6mT4pWGku8HO5DNno/edit?usp=sharing

PS: I can't seem to link my Keychron K3 with bluetooth, so now my setups looks a bit messy with the cable. any tips on this?

Hi! I'm an indie developer who recently dipped my toe into creating screensavers. This one is called Garden Clock. The image of the garden slowly crossfades to reflect the time of day. The hands are drawn programmatically as SVGs, customizable in three styles. Discount code EARLYBIRD5 gets you $5 off :) https://www.gardenclock.xyz/

Recently got an ASD. I'm UK based, looking for ideally a white single monitor arm. It's actually hard to find one in white that either doesn't have bad reviews or looks kinda ugly. Can anyone vouch for one they've bought? Happy to consider black too if you have a good recommendation. Thank you.

Just updated my M4 Mac Mini Pro setup 🔥

Setup:

• M4 Pro Mac Mini
• BenQ MA320U monitors (dual)
• Edifier QR65 speakers
• iVANKY FusionDock Max hub
• Logitech MX Master 4 mouse
• Lofree Flow 2 keyboard (custom keycaps)
• Secretlab Magnus Pro XL desk (white)
• LiberNovo Omni chair
• Govee Floor Lamp 2 (corner light)

This is probably the cleanest and most productive setup I’ve had so far. 

Still tweaking a few things (cable management never ends 😅), but super happy with how it’s coming together.

Happy to answer any questions!

This is the desk portion of my home office - I’m a full time remote worker (Product Manager). Not the most aesthetically appealing setup compared to some of the others here but it’s a workhorse for me! I spend a lot of time here.

Any ideas to improve this? Have a bit of space on the desk in the corner. Lamp, plant? Speakers?

Considering replacing the monitor with an ultrawide, thoughts?

Desk/risers: Vernal - love the extra little shelves and drawer for nick back storage.

Work (left):

MBP 16” M2

Adapter/dock: Anker something..

Laptop riser: sound dance (Amazon)

Keyboard: Satechi SM1 (only had this for 6mo, not sure I’m a mechanical guy..)

Mouse: logi mx ergo (love this)

Mouspad: Amazon (going to replace, color did not match description but it’s comfy for that style mouse)

Monitor: LG 34” 4k

Personal (right):

Mac mini m4 24gb - running OpenClaw, vibe-coding and Plex.

Dock: Satechi with 2tb

Mic: Rode

Keyboard: Mac

Mouse: logi MX master 3

Monitor: LG 27” 2k

Mousepad: Austin police 😂

I miss having a track pad.. small downside of a mini.

Chair: HM Aeron (large) - can’t recommend enough, worth the investment.

Headphone: Sony XM4 (not a big fan but they do the trick),

Not in picture: Bose ultra buds (great noise canceling), technic az100 buds (great sound but not great noise canceling).

Rug: leftover cutoff carpet 😂

Network: cabled into a switch into deco 6e

Pictured but not in use: Old ‘20 Intel MacBookPro 13” - will sell/trade soon, any offers! Once you go M chip it’s hard to go back.

Not in picture: Vernal drawers with PS5 that’s hooked into main monitor and a JLabs headset.

Just got the Mac mini so I’m working on improving that set up (keyboard, mouse pad).

Recently got the desk with wood vaneer to bring a bit of warmth. I have young kids so I need the corner protectors.

How can I improve my MacBook Air setup? I like it but idk whats missing... Sorry for the bs image quality

End of the month will see a new monitor and a Caldigit TS5 and a KVM. Should be done then, I tidied up all the wiring under my desk too.

Finally got all the upgrades installed and cleaned up. Probably overkill for remote work, but oh well 😅😎

When its not in use, you would never know it was there!

Inside:

- Mac Mini M4 (24/512)

- Studio Display XDR

- 13in iPad Pro M4

- Keychron K2 HE keyboard with black Magic Trackpad on a pop-out shelf

- Orange iPhone 17 Pro Max

- Powerbeats Pro

- Govee light bars

- Google nest hub

- HP Envy Inspire printer

- Acoustic panelling

- Candle warming lamp

Building a physical media collection & management app for iOS/ iPad OS 26. It currently sucks, but it's getting better lol