What's your 15/16" MBP desk setup?

[ascender]

I'm really interested to know (or see) how all of you with the larger laptop use it while at your desk? Do you just use it without an external monitor? Do you have an external keyboard and monitor? Is the monitor off to the right, left or straight-on?

Seems like a waste of a great screen, keyboard and TouchID etc if you just end up using the machine in clamshell mode?

 

[Gary500]

Pro Display XDR in clamshell mode. Sometimes use the laptop too. Only thing I'll miss when docked is the 120hz refresh rate.

 

[zakarhino]

I use a thunderbolt 3 dock with has a bunch of things plugged it into like a hard drive, mouse adapter, Topre keyboard, and a 4k screen. That's what the first thunderbolt port is used for. The second port is used for a second portrait mode screen alongside the 4k primary monitor. The third thunderbolt port is used for my DAC/AMP because I'm convinced the overall experience is better when plugged directly into the laptop rather than routing itself through a thunderbolt dock. The fourth port is occassionally used to attach accessories that I want directly plugged into the laptop for performance and stability reasons (thunderbolt 3 docks aren't are reliably as fast or as noise free as the ports on the laptop).

The laptop remains open, it is never in clamshell mode, because I like to use it as a third auxillary display for stuff like Slack, music, and other informational stuff. Also I frequently use Touch ID so leaving the laptop shut is not an option.

Both displays and the laptop are on separate floating monitor arms so I can move them around and out of the way if necessary.

For all intents and purposes my setup is identical to what it would be with a desktop machine. I could swap this MacBook Pro for a Mac Pro or Mini and have fundamentally the same experience minus the 'extra' screen from the MacBook and portability factor.

 

[JahBoolean]

I'm really interested to know (or see) how all of you with the larger laptop use it while at your desk? Do you just use it without an external monitor? Do you have an external keyboard and monitor? Is the monitor off to the right, left or straight-on?

Seems like a waste of a great screen, keyboard and TouchID etc if you just end up using the machine in clamshell mode?

Two 4k screens ; one portrait and one landscape. Portrait on the left (I'm right eye dominant so the main task is on the right.

I use my MBP as the keyboard and mouse (trackpad), as one of my old uni professor said that interfacing with a computer was like piano, as such you benefit from maximal consistency across setups ; it stands parallel to the main 4k monitor at a comfortable arm's length.

In my field of view the 3 screens are almost seamless and I get to watch color sensitive content on a great screen.

Note: I do have a matte screen protector on my MBP that slightly dimms the colours but helps with legibility (I absolutely abhorre the glossy screen finish).

PS: Possible upgrade paths:

2*[4k 120hz monitors] + TB4 Dock
2*[6k Pro motion monitors] + TB4 Dock (man can dream)

 

[Sterkenburg]

When at the desk I attach an external 4k display with high refresh rate, positioned above the Mac, and control the computer with a custom wireless mechanical keyboard and Mx Master mouse. With my 2018 MBP this is done through an eGPU box that also has a couple external SSDs attached, one for backups and one for photo/video storage. The eGPU will be replaced by a thunderbolt dock when my new M1 Max arrives.

 

[fa8362]

I just use the laptop screen. I use external hard drives, but no external monitor.

 

[ondioline]

In the past I've used a CalDigit TS3 dock and an mStand. I keep things elevated because of my Wacom. I'll probably be doing something similar again with the new MBP. Keeping it in clamshell seems like a waste, and I like using touchid

 

[JahBoolean]

In the past I've used a CalDigit TS3 dock and an mStand. I keep things elevated because of my Wacom. I'll probably be doing something similar again with the new MBP. Keeping it in clamshell seems like a waste, and I like using touchid

View attachment 1872390

What setup do you use to elevate them, is it rigid ; i'd think so ?

Is that an XDR showing it's nose ?

 

[ascender]

Thanks for all the feedback. The reason I ask is that I'm thinking of having a 16" MBP as my main device front and central with an external monitor on an arm for extra desktops rather than using an external screen, keyboard as my main inputs. Seems a real shame to have this new screen and not use it as the main screen in my workflow.

 

[ipedro]

I plan to use my 16” MBP at a standing desk with a 12” iPad Pro in portrait using Sidecar and a 48” 4K TV for video previews above the desk.

If Apple releases an affordable XDR display next year, I’ll upgrade to that when at my desk though I look forward to working remotely more since being chained to my iMac at a desk for the past decade.

 

[likegadgets]

New 16" M1 MAX will replace current 16". Clamshell mode wit Cal Digit TS3, one XDR monitor and one 5K monitor - several peripherals (scanner, backup SSDs, 4K Logitech camera, label maker, wired ethernet). A few trips a year - will use it as portable hence the 16" screen for real estate. I just purchase a new Apple keyboard with fingertip sensor for the M1 that will arrive next month.

 

[JahBoolean]