16" Unusable on a desk setup?

[JippaLippa]

Hello.

I recently gotten a macbook pro 16", but I'm tempted to get s refund for a pretty weird reason (among others).

I have a 2 display setup, and I was planning on replacing the cheaper one with the built in display for the macbook, but about that display...
I might have bad eyes, and in part I do, but I'm finding the 16" to be completely unusable on a desk setup, as everything looks so small, especislly text...
I tried scaling the ui in the display settings, but it makes it quite blurrier.
Also about said display...I think it's quite worse that advertised.
While the HDR capabilities are indeed breathtaking, it compensates with some horrid ghosting, especially noticeable when using Promotion. It's bordeline unusable for any precise work.
I might have my eye trained for motion, as I work with animation, but i have never seen such ghosting on any display in my life...

Considering I'm not that much into portability, the display was the main selling point for me (alongside the M1 Max), but given how it is unusable in my case, It's not worth the absurd price I paid for it...
I think I'll be better off waiting for an M1Max Mini + Apple Display or an iMac Pro, but working with my Mini M1 for 4 more months will be tough...
Believe me, using a regular M1 and 16GB of Ram for motion design is true hell...

 

[oikos]

Hello.

I recently gotten a macbook pro 16", but I'm tempted to get s refund for a pretty weird reason (among others).

I have a 2 display setup, and I was planning on replacing the cheaper one with the built in display for the macbook, but about that display...
I might have bad eyes, and in part I do, but I'm finding the 16" to be completely unusable on a desk setup, as everything looks so small, especislly text...
I tried scaling the ui in the display settings, but it makes it quite blurrier.
Also about said display...I think it's quite worse that advertised.
While the HDR capabilities are indeed breathtaking, it compensates with some horrid ghosting, especially noticeable when using Promotion. It's bordeline unusable for any precise work.
I might have my eye trained for motion, as I work with animation, but i have never seen such ghosting on any display in my life...

Considering I'm not that much into portability, the display was the main selling point for me (alongside the M1 Max), but given how it is unusable in my case, It's not worth the absurd price I paid for it...
I think I'll be better off waiting for an M1Max Mini + Apple Display or an iMac Pro, but working with my Mini M1 for 4 more months will be tough...
Believe me, using a regular M1 and 16GB of Ram for motion design is true hell...

Why not use the 16" and both of your old monitors? (Maybe with a Thunderbolt dock, or maybe you already have what you need for that.) The 16" could be open or closed, depending on your space and needs.

 

[oikos]

Why not use the 16" and both of your old monitors? (Maybe with a Thunderbolt dock, or maybe you already have what you need for that.) The 16" could be open or closed, depending on your space and needs.

Sorry, of course the prospective "Mini M1 Pro" or new iMacPro would probably be more cost-effective for your needs on a desk, if you don't care about the portability option...

 

[wilberforce]

Sounds like you are better off returning while you can, and see what the new iMac offers next year.
I have a 2020 27" 5k iMac and one of the new M1 Pro MBPs, and I MUCH prefer working on the 27" 5k screen for precise graphics work, and the UI size is just perfect, IMO. Of course, it is currently only 60Hz.

 

[JippaLippa]

Sounds like you are better off returning while you can, and see what the new iMac offers next year.
I have a 2020 27" 5k iMac and one of the new M1 Pro MBPs, and I MUCH prefer working on the 27" 5k screen for precise graphics work, and the UI size is just perfect, IMO. Of course, it is currently only 60Hz.

As much as it pains me to do so, I think I'll do that.
Working on the Mini M1 for four more months will be rough...
But the macbook life just isn't for me.
I really hope I'll be able to get a 27-32" imac for the same amount of money, or even 500$ extra tops.
The macbook It's just a bad workflow for my profession.
The M1 Max is nice, but not worth 5k on its own...
Even better, a mac mini with the M1 Max and 2 apple displays.

 

[Spotlighter9]

I also have the new 16" M1 and use it primarily as a portable desktop ...Try the following before you give up:

Have you tried adjusting the display in the "Accessibility" Settings. I'm specifically referring to the "Increase Contrast"(set the slider just past the left end) and "reduce transparency" settings...maybe even changing your color tint, etc? I've gotten good text results from these adjustments and keep my display scaled at 1312x848. I also turn on "true tone", P3-1600 Nits, Promotion, and night shift, turn off "auto brightness"

In Safari preferences...go to the "Advanced" tab and then select "Never Use Font Sizes Less Than __" you can start with 24pt and move lower to your tolerance.

In Messages and other apps set your font size higher under Text Size then "other".

 

[AndrewWx]

I also have the new 16" M1 and use it primarily as a portable desktop ...Try the following before you give up:

Have you tried adjusting the display in the "Accessibility" Settings. I'm specifically referring to the "Increase Contrast"(set the slider just past the left end) and "reduce transparency" settings...maybe even changing your color tint, etc? I've gotten good text results from these adjustments and keep my display scaled at 1312x848. I also turn on "true tone", P3-1600 Nits, Promotion, and night shift, turn off "auto brightness"

In Safari preferences...go to the "Advanced" tab and then select "Never Use Font Sizes Less Than __" you can start with 24pt and move lower to your tolerance.

In Messages and other apps set your font size higher under Text Size then "other".

These are really good suggestions - I tried a few and they helped me - thanks

 

[pshufd]

I tried the M1 PRO 16 next to a 27 inch 4k monitor and didn't really like it. I love using the MacBook Pro standalone though. It's always a problem using a laptop with a monitor in that the aspect ratio and resolution don't quite match along with looking down to see the laptop display. There may be a slight adjustment when switching resolutions between monitors which is why I like to have the same monitors. I also tried it with my 2015 MacBook Pro and it had the same issues. So I'm using an iMac next to my 4k monitor off the M1 mini which is next to the other two 4k displays running off my Windows desktop.

Also, distance differences can also result in blurriness. I usually put the laptop about 30 inches from my eyes and putting the laptop closer causes some blurriness. When just using the laptop, I sometimes use it close up with reading glasses or sometimes far away using terminal glasses.

 

[Spotlighter9]

I tried the M1 PRO 16 next to a 27 inch 4k monitor and didn't really like it. I love using the MacBook Pro standalone though. It's always a problem using a laptop with a monitor in that the aspect ratio and resolution don't quite match along with looking down to see the laptop display. There may be a slight adjustment when switching resolutions between monitors which is why I like to have the same monitors. I also tried it with my 2015 MacBook Pro and it had the same issues. So I'm using an iMac next to my 4k monitor off the M1 mini which is next to the other two 4k displays running off my Windows desktop.

Also, distance differences can also result in blurriness. I usually put the laptop about 30 inches from my eyes and putting the laptop closer causes some blurriness. When just using the laptop, I sometimes use it close up with reading glasses or sometimes far away using terminal glasses.

It's frustrating this stuff is not capable of being plug and play. Displays are very complex technologies with lots of parameters to consider before purchasing/using, especially a combination display setup. Native Pixel density differences between different size displays (as opposed to resolution) as well as ones own vision impediments can make their simultaneous use difficult. I use progressive lenses which are well suited to the use of a laptop as the display sits lower and the "mid" and "reading" Rx section fall in the lower portion of my eyeglass frames. I can also move the laptop positioning easily to adjust for comfort...which is why I really love this 16" MBP.

There are settings in MacOS system preferences that will allow a user to individually adjust each separate display (in addition to scaling) when using multiple displays.

 

[pshufd]

It's frustrating this stuff is not capable of being plug and play. Displays are very complex technologies with lots of parameters to consider before purchasing/using, especially a combination display setup. Native Pixel density differences between different size displays (as opposed to resolution) as well as ones own vision impediments can make their simultaneous use difficult. I use progressive lenses which are well suited to the use of a laptop as the display sits lower and the "mid" and "reading" Rx section fall in the lower portion of my eyeglass frames. I can also move the laptop positioning easily to adjust for comfort...which is why I really love this 16" MBP.

There are settings in MacOS system preferences that will allow a user to individually adjust each separate display (in addition to scaling) when using multiple displays.

Even if you get it close, there are some location differences and looking down and right is just a bit of a bother. The speakers in the laptop mean that you watch videos on it instead of the larger monitor and you have to get the region of the larger monitor right when you move your mouse from the laptop to the big monitor as the OS maps scaled pixels and not just the whole monitor to the whole monitor.