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New M1 Max MacBook Pro Desk Setup and Accessories 2022!

11:59 video

New MacBook Pro, new minimal desk setup? Skillshare sponsored this video (the description has a link for the first 1,000 people to get a free month). The new MacBook Pros with M1 Pro and M1 Max are phenomenal: a new design, an upgraded keyboard, the Liquid Retina XDR display with ProMotion, a new (or old) port layout and chips that outpace all previous Mac laptops and all but the highest-end Pro Macs. I also have a comparison of the 14 and 16-inch M1 Max models. Because these machines are so good for professional work, I commandeered my daughter’s old playroom, took out the art unbefitting a professional workspace, and built a new minimal desk setup.

Desk and chairs

  • Desk: a glass-top sit-stand desk from FlexiSpot, who sent it to me to try. It was easy to put together: it comes in just two pieces, so you don’t assemble the legs. It’s white, clean and modern, with a large soft-close drawer, two USB-A ports and one USB-C port on the right for charging, and measures 48 by 24 inches. It’s motorized, from 28.3 to 47.6 inches, with four memory positions (set a height, then press and hold a memory button). The description notes a FlexiSpot Black Friday sale.
  • Chair: a Herman Miller Aeron, which I absolutely love: expensive, but everything is customizable, including tilt, height, armrests and back support, from fully reclined to fully forward. Cheaper option: an Amazon Commercial desk chair, which I used for about two years: pretty comfortable, not as adjustable, fits me (I’m not very tall), though the arms can wobble and make noise.

Laptop stand, display and monitor stand

  • Laptop stand: a silver aluminum laptop stand from NoVoo, with a sturdy base. A knob adjusts the height, the pillar swivels and the platform tilts, with rubber pads. It matches the silver MacBook Pro (space gray versions exist from other companies; both are linked), and holds the laptop next to another monitor while using its built-in display.
  • Display: the Dell S2722QC, a 27-inch 4K IPS at 60 Hz with up to a billion colors, 99% sRGB, under $380, two HDMI inputs and DisplayPort over USB-C, so one cable gives 4K and 65 W charging. It tilts, swivels, raises and rotates vertically, has two USB ports and built-in 3 W speakers (which I don’t use because they aren’t any good). I’ve used it for a few weeks and like it a lot: it’s not 5K or high refresh rate, but it has good colors, and I scale it to 1440p to match the 5K iMac. Update from the description: I can no longer recommend this Dell display because of a flicker issue, and the description links to similar and feature-packed alternatives (an LG alternative and a factory-calibrated Dell alternative).
  • Monitor stand: a bamboo stand from Kalibri, lifting the display 3.5 inches and adding desk space below. Solid with no flex or wobble, I’ve used it with heavier displays, too, such as the 24 and 27-inch iMacs.

Keyboard, mouse and trackpad

  • Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID: exactly what I wanted for an external keyboard with a MacBook Pro: sit down, press Touch ID and get to work. Fingerprints registered on the MacBook work on the paired keyboard and vice-versa. I’d add backlighting if I could.
  • Logitech MX Master 3: great for precision pointing; a full-size mouse with physical buttons, a scroll wheel that can be free-scrolling or ratcheting, a horizontal scroll wheel (good for timelines) and two configurable buttons in Logi Options.
  • Magic Trackpad: for pinch to zoom, two-finger scrolling and swiping between full-screen apps and spaces (work on one desktop, personal on another). I use it with the MX Master 3, but it also works alone.
  • The keyboard and trackpad are mounted together with the Twelve South Magic Bridge: put the trackpad on either side, keep them aligned, or use both in your lap.
  • A desk mat in waterproof PU leather with a suede back, about 24 by 14 inches, for a pop of color without being too bright.

Audio

I love the Kanto YU2 speakers, but for this build I wanted to limit bulk, and the speakers in the new MacBook Pro are so good that I don’t need anything else for most of the day: loud, clear and with good bass for calls, YouTube and music. To isolate sound, I use AirPods Max, which I finally bought over the summer because they kept going on sale: clear, immersive audio with great bass that isn’t fatiguing, noise canceling to focus, an uncanny transparency mode for conversations, and the most comfortable over-ear headphones I’ve used, even for a glasses wearer.

The AirPods Max have no power switch, so to put them into deep sleep you put them in their case or on a stand. I found a 3D-printed stand on Etsy with built-in magnets that puts them into deep sleep right away to save battery; you can also charge them there, and it has a spot to store the Lightning cable. Lifting them off wakes them.

Dock: CalDigit TS3 Plus

Even with more ports on the new MacBooks, I want more: Ethernet, USB-A and extra USB-C. I’m glad Apple added the SD slot back, but I usually film with multiple cameras and want to pull footage off two at once, so with one card in the MacBook and one in the CalDigit, I can pull 60 to 100 GB of 4K footage quickly. You can leave speakers and SSDs attached to the dock and connect one cable to the MacBook. The USB-C display can connect to the dock, which then powers the laptop at up to 87 W.

Other things on my desk (in the description): a CalDigit Tuff Nano, a pencil holder, an iPad mini 6 with its case, an Apple Pencil (second generation) and an iPhone 13 mini.

I like the simplicity: it’s a more relaxing space and less distracting than my regular office-slash-studio space, which I can never keep organized. The space felt a little sterile, so I re-hung some artwork. Does this work for the 16-inch MacBook Pro? Yes. What do you think of the minimal setup?

In this video

  • 0:00 Intro
  • 0:32 FlexiSpot Desk
  • 2:07 Hermin Miller Aeron Chair
  • 2:25 Amazon Commercial Chair
  • 2:42 Aluminum Laptop Stand
  • 3:25 No Longer Recommend, See Description
  • 4:43 Bamboo Monitor Stand
  • 5:02 Sponsor
  • 6:04 Apple Magic Keyboard w/ Touch ID
  • 6:41 MX Master 3
  • 7:22 Magic Trackpad
  • 7:42 TwelveSouth Magic Bridge
  • 8:00 Desk Mat
  • 8:27 Speakers
  • 8:52 AirPods Max
  • 9:44 AirPods Max Stand
  • 10:13 CalDigit TS3 Plus

Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I may receive a small commission. See my ethics statement.

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