MacBook Pro Duet Setup

[huffy15]

Hi everyone,

I decided to start a thread about using iPad as a second display. Most of us have an iPad and probably a Mac. Duet is an iPad app + Mac app to enable the iPad as a second monitor.

I sold my imac 5k earlier this month to start using only my macbook pro + ipad. For a strange reason, it's easier for my eyes to look down than up on a large screen. I work with this setup roughly 16h a day for the past 2 weeks and it's awesome.

I'm a Front-end developer so I constantly need a second window with "inspect element" or a terminal open.

There's a clip called Mountie to create a seamless experience : https://tenonedesign.com/mountie.php.

If you have similar setup feel free to share it.

 

[kougra6541]

I was considering buying this! Thanks for posting!

Do you have the standard license you get just from buying the app? Or did you pay for the monthly/yearly(don't remember what it was) subscription?

Do you mind explaining what features you have (or don't have) based on the plan your using? I was having a hard time finding a good explanation on their website!

Edit: I just ordered a 13" 2016 TB model and I'd be using an 9.7" iPad Pro w/ the  pencil

 

[xraydoc]

I do this all the time - well, not daily, but I will not rarely fire up Duet and run my laptop and iPad Pro together. Performance-wise, it's not the same as a second "real" monitor, but for a second window for productivity purposes, it's great.

True story: At work I have an HP Xeon Windows 7 workstation with 3 monitors, one of which is a 30" 4K display. I happened to have my MacBook Pro with me and was doing some work on it at my desk. I got quite involved in what I was doing and didn't want to take the time to transfer what I was doing from the MacBook to my office PC (my workplace's network isn't the most friendly). Anyway, I pulled out my iPad Pro and connected it to my MBP as a second screen so I could keep going. Someone walks in to my office, sees me working on my laptop and iPad simultaneously, looks over at the very expensive but idle workstation on my desk, shakes his head, and walks out. So funny.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

I think I'm going to have to pick up this app, especially after I move to the larger iPad Pro after the next update.

 

[Fireball Dragon]

I have a few questions about Duet, and rather than start a new thread, thought I could ask here. Hope that's okay.

________________________________________________________________________________________
I am running Duet on an original iPad Air (2013).

It is connected to my MacBook.

The MacBook is in clamshell mode (closed) and connected to an external display.

I am trying to use my external monitor as my main display, and the iPad as a second display.

My MacBook is closed all this time.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is where the problem is....

The iPad is acting as the main display, and the larger external monitor is behaving as the second display. I cannot seem to reverse this.

It is all a bit laggy, too, despite tinkering with settings. Is this because my iPad is quite old now?

Furthermore, I cannot use some gestures from my trackpad when Duet is running (such as swipe up to expose windows).

 

[xraydoc]

I have a few questions about Duet, and rather than start a new thread, thought I could ask here. Hope that's okay.

________________________________________________________________________________________
I am running Duet on an original iPad Air (2013).

It is connected to my MacBook.

The MacBook is in clamshell mode (closed) and connected to an external display.

I am trying to use my external monitor as my main display, and the iPad as a second display.

My MacBook is closed all this time.
________________________________________________________________________________________

Here is where the problem is....

The iPad is acting as the main display, and the larger external monitor is behaving as the second display. I cannot seem to reverse this.

It is all a bit laggy, too, despite tinkering with settings. Is this because my iPad is quite old now?

Furthermore, I cannot use some gestures from my trackpad when Duet is running (such as swipe up to expose windows).

You can change the monitor assignments (main, arraignment, etc.) in the Displays control panel in System Settings on your Mac.

As for trackpad gestures, I'm not sure why they wouldn't work.

The lagginess is unavoidable. Pushing all the display data over a USB 2.0 connection is going to result in suboptimal frame rates. When I use Duet, I tend to use the iPad's display as a secondary display with a window or two for reference, and not as a "main" display.

 

[Fireball Dragon]

You can change the monitor assignments (main, arraignment, etc.) in the Displays control panel in System Settings on your Mac.

As for trackpad gestures, I'm not sure why they wouldn't work.

The lagginess is unavoidable. Pushing all the display data over a USB 2.0 connection is going to result in suboptimal frame rates. When I use Duet, I tend to use the iPad's display as a secondary display with a window or two for reference, and not as a "main" display.

Hi. Thanks for your reply.

I'd also like to use the iPad as the second display. Just to confirm, this is still possible even with my MacBook in clamshell mode, right?

Also, could you possible tell me how to change the external display to the main one, as I couldn't find the arrangement settings.

Cheers.

 

[RobinInOR]

Even tho i bought an LG monitor, i was going to use duet to give me a third monitor. Ive been using my ipad 12.9 at work as my windows 4th monitor and it works great.

However, on my new MBP, it breaks. My MBP can no longer wake from sleep. Seems to be a Sierra flaw w/ the displays. Just something to watch out for. Once i uninstalled Duet my waking was sorta back to normal.

But i love the idea. I'll try it again when Sierra 10.12.2 comes out

 

[Altis]

That's why some of us really miss the 17" model. Sometimes you just need more screen space.

 

[Bryan Bowler]

There's a clip called Mountie to create a seamless experience : https://tenonedesign.com/mountie.php.

If you have similar setup feel free to share it.

Thanks again for showing us your set-up! I'm sure its fine, but just to confirm, is the Mountie working fine with your new late-2016 MBP? Also. I see you're using a 9.7" iPad, but do you think there would be any "weight issues" from using a 12.9" iPad?

Thanks!

 

[pookitoo]

I sold my imac 5k earlier this month to start using only my macbook pro + ipad. For a strange reason, it's easier for my eyes to look down than up on a large screen. I work with this setup roughly 16h a day for the past 2 weeks and it's awesome.

I'm a Front-end developer so I constantly need a second window with "inspect element" or a terminal open.

There's a clip called Mountie to create a seamless experience : https://tenonedesign.com/mountie.php.

If you have similar setup feel free to share it.

I'm doing the same but with my new MacBook Pro 13 " and 9,7 iPad Pro ! A little bit small but it's good

2 things :
- I've the mountie, but I'm afraid with the weight on the hinge of the MacBook Pro so I prefer to let the iPad on a stand (but with the iPhone for Xcode dev it's very good !)

- With Duet I've some issue, little square on the app, sometimes I feel the duet app make some bug on my MacBook Pro, and slow the computer.

But I love to have the same setup and the same working comfort wherever I go !

 

[Fireball Dragon]

Even tho i bought an LG monitor, i was going to use duet to give me a third monitor. Ive been using my ipad 12.9 at work as my windows 4th monitor and it works great.

However, on my new MBP, it breaks. My MBP can no longer wake from sleep. Seems to be a Sierra flaw w/ the displays. Just something to watch out for. Once i uninstalled Duet my waking was sorta back to normal.

But i love the idea. I'll try it again when Sierra 10.12.2 comes out

Hi RobinInOR,

I have also been expiring similar issues.

If I disconnect my MBP from the LG 4K, I 'sometimes' cannot wake the display. The computer is working, as I can hear music if I press play (for example, just that the display will not come on.

Is this what you were experiencing and did removing Duet solve it?

 

[RobinInOR]

Yes, sounds similar. Though mine would lock up on wake until I disconnected the LG from the MBP - then the main display would show up.

Uninstalling Duet hasn't totally solved it, I still get some wake from sleep crashes. I think there's a bug somewhere in the display drivers on 10.12.1 - hopefully the next update will resolve everything.

I read this http://www.hightechdad.com/2016/07/...ra-10-12-beta-blank-screen-crash-after-sleep/ but there are a lot of other places where it's documented. Duet says it's a known problem, but it was known back in 2015 so not sure how fast they'll fix it.

Right now the only way I know my MBP will wake up is to close all applications before sleeping.

 

[Fireball Dragon]

Yes, sounds similar. Though mine would lock up on wake until I disconnected the LG from the MBP - then the main display would show up.

Uninstalling Duet hasn't totally solved it, I still get some wake from sleep crashes. I think there's a bug somewhere in the display drivers on 10.12.1 - hopefully the next update will resolve everything.

I read this http://www.hightechdad.com/2016/07/...ra-10-12-beta-blank-screen-crash-after-sleep/ but there are a lot of other places where it's documented. Duet says it's a known problem, but it was known back in 2015 so not sure how fast they'll fix it.

Right now the only way I know my MBP will wake up is to close all applications before sleeping.

Thanks for your reply.

I have uninstalled Duet on my 15" MBP (which I primarily use with the LG 4K). I. have kept it on my 12" MacBook, which I will not be using with the external display, and see how that works.

Failing that, will also try closing apps before before sleeping.

Seems quite unfortunate that it is not all working as planned after spending quite a bit of money on the new MacBook and LG display...
[doublepost=1480377236][/doublepost]Okay, after going through the article, I have experienced quite a few of these, as follows.

• Cursor would show but nothing else
• Password field might display but would not be reactive
• Screen would stay black or blank

I went to my Macbook this morning (left overnight plugged into the LG 4K), and it was already on. Apparently my MacBook restarted at some point in the night. After I logged in, I have the usual message of "Mac restarted due to an error".

I checked the report and sent it to apple and I think I recall something about kernel. But have no idea what this is.

 

[RobinInOR]

Bummer. Yeah, there's something going on. I've seen other reports of kernel panics from others. This morning when I woke up my MBP (slept with no apps running, but LG attached), the laptop came on just fine but the LG didn't. I had to unplug the LG and plug it back in before it would display.

Annoying for sure. I think 10.12.2 will be out soon so we can see then.

 

[JasonHB]

I have previously been using Duet with my iPad Pro using my old mid 2010 MBP.

I have just purchased a new mid 2015 MBP and was wondering, given that the new MBP supports USB3.0 whether this would improve the performance of Duet with the data transfer speeds.

However, I don't seem to be able to find a USB3.0 to Lightning cable, not sure they exist and I don't know why they don't. Given the iPad Pro supports USB3.0 via it's Lightning connector, this seems an obvious product to me.

I do however, have the USB3.0 Lightning Camera Adaptor for the iPad Pro and was wondering if I got a USB3.0 cable (Type A - Type A) and connected it to the MBP using the camera adaptor, whether this would then allow the higher speed connection to the iPad from the MBP.

Hope my ramblings make sense and whether this is a viable option, or am I just talking rubbish.

Thanks in advance

Jason