75Batt
macrumors 6502
They haven’t removed anything. It was never there in the first place.
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M3 MacBook Pro to Get Multi-Display Support With Software Update
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MrGimper
macrumors G3
jakey rolling
macrumors 65816
So Apple are either incompetent or they are customer-adverse. Either way, it's not a good look.
TigerNike23
macrumors 65816
What does Apple say to users who bought a DisplayLink solution? “Ooops, sorry, you don’t actually need that now.”
chrono1081
macrumors G3
No one but Apple knows why the limit was in place in the first place. It could have something to do with the core OS that wasn't going to get updated until the spring release.
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t0m3k
macrumors member
75Batt
macrumors 6502
Lol did you even read the article?!? The higher and lower models are getting it.
ApplesAreSweet&Sour
Suspended
Sucks, however, for anyone who, justifiably, thought there was a legitimate hardware limitation to blame and decided to spend another $400+ to get a M3 Pro MacBook Pro or M3 Max MacBook Pro over the baseline $1599 M3 MacBook Pro just to drive two external displays.
Further proof that all M3 chips are the same at their core, "forcing" Apple to software block certain features that come with every tier of M3 if you don't pay to get something better than the baseline, plain M3.
Key word HAD - this has been fixed - so what EXACTLY is your problem?!
With the M series Apple has gotten pretty much everything right.
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Thats fine.. I think sometimes we like a companies products, services and its ethos etc… but its important to bware that is is a company, a business… and its only reason for existing is to make money. They dont care about you, or us… they just care to keep customers and shareholders as two big entities happy. As long as those two big groups (and its workforce) are happy..buying, working and shareholding…it keeps the company going.
On the whole, nobody really care about what a Macbook Air or Macbook Pro is or does…its just a means to an end. Might one day end up in a museum… and someone will look at it a few minutes and then move along.
It is NOT proof. It is possible that it didn't work smooth enough with software upon release to offer that. Proof would evidence of a deliberate internal plan to hose users. Proof is not because the are offering it now when they didn't until now.
ApplesAreSweet&Sour
Suspended
I hope you're joking as support for two external displays was already available for the M3 Pro MacBook Pros.
It wasn’t the $2,000 MacBook Pro that had this limitation it’s the lower tier
im 100% satisfied with all my Apple products. I always make sure to buy the device that best fits my personal usage case
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jakey rolling
macrumors 65816
The problem is that it never should have been "broken" in the first place.
chucker23n1
macrumors G3
This is good news. I wonder how this is done.
My understanding was that the non-Pro M SoCs had two display controllers, and two wires: on the Mac mini, both go straight to ports on the back, whereas on the MacBooks and iMac, one goes to the internal display, and the other to the ports.
Presumably, the M3 still only has two display controllers. But, perhaps they added a third wiring: one port is always connected, and either the internal display or the other port is connected. But for the fall MBP with M3 release, they hadn't finished the firmware in time to actually dynamically switch between the two whenever the lid closes or is opened.
My understanding was that the non-Pro M SoCs had two display controllers, and two wires: on the Mac mini, both go straight to ports on the back, whereas on the MacBooks and iMac, one goes to the internal display, and the other to the ports.
Presumably, the M3 still only has two display controllers. But, perhaps they added a third wiring: one port is always connected, and either the internal display or the other port is connected. But for the fall MBP with M3 release, they hadn't finished the firmware in time to actually dynamically switch between the two whenever the lid closes or is opened.
mdriftmeyer
macrumors 68040
Power draw, system resources spikes limiting performance and more are reasons to not extend to multiple displays.
My M2 Pro Mini supports multiple displays owning to the fact it has no built-in display.
More displays increase total power draw and heat generation. Inside a thin laptop with very minimal convective heat transfer as specified sound levels of noise adds to the decision not to extend multiple display support options.
My M2 Pro Mini supports multiple displays owning to the fact it has no built-in display.
More displays increase total power draw and heat generation. Inside a thin laptop with very minimal convective heat transfer as specified sound levels of noise adds to the decision not to extend multiple display support options.
fenderbass146
macrumors 68000
In what way shape or form? The GPU on Mac's in insane. The garbage integrated stuff from 2009 could do dual monitors. Also, the Macs already support dual monitors. The only difference would be the external would be disabled when using two externals
dumastudetto
macrumors 603
We're not talking about the M3 Pro SoC here. We're talking the standard M3 that is shipping in 14 inch MacBook Pro models and these new MacBook Air. These didn't have two external display support but will do with the software update that made it possible on the new MBAs.
The M3 Pros can drive two external monitors + the MBP display concurrently. The standard can only do 1 external and the MBP display. Apple has implemented a software workaround on the standard M3 models to enable two external displays when the MacBook is in clamshell mode. So it's still effectively only two displays, but they've worked a solution that is a reasonable compromise for those unwilling to buy into the M3 Pros that can handle the job properly.
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dannyyankou
macrumors P6
Maybe it's just because I'm still on an Intel Mac, but every time I plug into an external monitor, I get performance issues. Especially when I'm playing video on the MacBook's screen in full screen. I use USB C with my monitor though. I wonder if using HDMI would improve performance. No charging with HDMI though.
klasma
macrumors G4
My $500 budget mini PC (which by the way includes 32 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD) can drive four monitors at 4K (Intel Xe integrated graphics), so this isn’t exactly rocket science.
dumastudetto
macrumors 603
Mac laptops have never had different external display support depending on the lid being closed or opened, it's clear M1/M2/M3 computers support two displays max, as you can see on the AS Mac Minis that have no integrated display but have supported two (external of course) displays forever.
Apple had to bake in support in macOS to differentiate between the lid being close or open and allow for this. Apple surely realized the demand for this as more and more people use their laptops in clamshell mode.
The just announced MBA's will come with macOS Sonoma 14.4 out of the box, which clearly is where the added support is included.
Apple had to bake in support in macOS to differentiate between the lid being close or open and allow for this. Apple surely realized the demand for this as more and more people use their laptops in clamshell mode.
The just announced MBA's will come with macOS Sonoma 14.4 out of the box, which clearly is where the added support is included.
Well it will please a couple hundred of whiny internet commentators.
TigerNike23
macrumors 65816
Same. I’ve been waiting on an M3 Mac Mini, but if this is true I’ll just buy that.