Using MacBook Air M1 as a desktop?

[wfriedwald]

I am currently doing most of my work on a 2018 Mac Mini - which I loved at the time, but now seems to be slowing down a lot.

For years I had a very early MacBook Air (c2014) and I just replaced it with an M1 MacBook Air.

I can't help but notice that the new M1 MacBook Air is lightning fast compared to the 2018 Mini.

So my question:

what does it take to use the M1 MacBook Air as a desktop?
can I use 2-3 external monitors?
does anybody recommend using a "docking station" or a hub? or any other hardware?

just grateful for any advice & personal experience / feedback.

Thanks!

w

 

[Spock]

You are limited to just one external display on the M1 MacBook Air, keep that in mind.

 

[wfriedwald]

oh well that is a factor!
(although I guess I could have the built in display PLUS one external, so that's two displays at least, right?)

does the M2 MacBook air do any better?
to use three displays total, would I have to go up to a MacBook Pro?

thanks for the feedback!

w

 

[raythompsontn]

does the M2 MacBook air do any better?
to use three displays total, would I have to go up to a MacBook Pro?

No.
Yes.

 

[wfriedwald]

thank you Mr. Thompson and also Mister Spock!

Okay, this is all very good to know. Yes!

(first conclusion: so it doesn't really make sense to go from an M1 to an M2 MacBook Air, to get the real bump in what I might need to do, I have to go all the way to the MacBook Pro. Okay, now I know this.)

follow up question: does anybody recommend docking stations or hubs? or NOT recommend them?

w

 

[McScooby]

Maybe limited by one display as direct connection, but you've always got displaylink via a dock which can take 2.

 

[Sowelu]

As I was waiting for my M2 mini to arrive, I was using my M1 Air as a desktop (hooked up to an Apple Studio Display). It was a great setup - speedy, ran cool, no display connectivity issues and I used both the MacBook's display and the ASD. While the M2 mini feels a smidge faster, I think overall the difference is negligible if you're just doing office work and media consumption.

 

[ilikewhey]

thank you Mr. Thompson and also Mister Spock!

Okay, this is all very good to know. Yes!

(first conclusion: so it doesn't really make sense to go from an M1 to an M2 MacBook Air, to get the real bump in what I might need to do, I have to go all the way to the MacBook Pro. Okay, now I know this.)

follow up question: does anybody recommend docking stations or hubs? or NOT recommend them?

w

what type of bump are you expecting from m1 to m2, beside the obvious exterior difference, the actual chip performance difference isn't that much.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

OP, macOS is probably the bulk of cause of the "slow down." One option would be to back it all up and downgrade macOS back to a version that seemed to run "fast." You would not be the first to step back a version or three to get a fast Mac again. I have an ancient Mini still running Snow Leopard (for a few things that never embraced Intel Macs). It seems as fast as when Snow Leopard was THE current OS.

 

[wfriedwald]

Maybe limited by one display as direct connection, but you've always got displaylink via a dock which can take 2.

oh thanks ... now I have to look into DISPLAYLINK and see exactly how that works - not sure if that's hardware or software or what!

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

I am currently doing most of my work on a 2018 Mac Mini - which I loved at the time, but now seems to be slowing down a lot.

For years I had a very early MacBook Air (c2014) and I just replaced it with an M1 MacBook Air.

I can't help but notice that the new M1 MacBook Air is lightning fast compared to the 2018 Mini.

So my question:

what does it take to use the M1 MacBook Air as a desktop?

A docking station. You can get any USB-C dock and plug it into one of the USB-C ports of a M1 Macbook Air and use it as a desktop.

can I use 2-3 external monitors?

No. M1 (As well as M2) can only support 2 displays, with the Macbook's display being one so for the laptops you only get one external monitor.

If you use 2-3 external monitors, you'll need to get a 14/16 inch Macbook Pro instead. The M1/M2 Pro supports two external displays, the M1/M2 Max supporting four

does anybody recommend using a "docking station" or a hub? or any other hardware?

I use a Targus dock for my Macbook.

just grateful for any advice & personal experience / feedback.

Thanks!

w

You're welcome

 

[AppliedMicro]

not sure if that's hardware or software or what!

Both. Hardware with a driver.

 

[livmatus]

I use my M1 Air mostly as desktop.

Together with a Lenovo ThinkVision P44w-10 monitor.

I used a dual monitor setup before... so I had a TB3 dock with one display connected natively and the other one with DisplayLink... but with DisplayLink manager running all the stuff that uses DRM(?) such as Apple TV, Udemy, Netflix etc. just won't work. Also Night Shift is not supported with DisplayLink driven displays (f.lux now is tho... after a long wait)

Those things were annoying enough that I opted for the ultrawide monitor (got it second hand, basically unused with more than half of Lenovo's 3 year warranty remaining ... for 1/3 of the retail price)

...

As for the laptop being connected almost non-stop -> I use an app called 'Al Dente' and have the battery threshold set to 80% ... sometimes 70% ... sometimes I let it charge to 100%

My battery cycle count is 88 after 2 years and 2 months with maximum capacity being 96% according to System Information and 91.1% in Coconut Battery (tho it fluctuates there... )

Personally I don't see a point of having a Mac desktop myself as Mac is my main machine I want to be able to take it anywhere with me.

 

[rm5]

I sometimes use my M1 MacBook Air as a desktop, although there are certain annoyances about it, including:

1. You can only connect one external monitor
2. You have to "undock" the laptop when you need to take it somewhere, and then "dock it back up" when you get home
3. In the case of the MacBook Air, thermal throttling

But I do like it because I can use my big Ultrafine monitor in clamshell mode, and it works great for the most part.

There are still reasons why I like using my 5,1 Mac Pro (which is a true desktop), including that I never have to unplug anything, and also because I can connect two monitors (well really four but I only connect two). Despite being a slower system just for everyday tasks (and man, you really notice it after awhile!), it actually is better-performing in many areas because it has double the RAM and a more powerful GPU. That's the only reason why I prefer using it for "desktop purposes."

 

[wfriedwald]

Both. Hardware with a driver.

oh thanks - this is it, then:

Minisopuru Displaylink Triple Display Docking Station for MacBook M1/M2/Windows, Laptop DisplayLink Docking Station with 2 HDMI & 2 DisplayPort,100W Charge, USB-C Data, Ethernet, Audio,4 USBA Ports

DisplayLink docking station 3 monitors docking station dual monitor docking station with 2 HDMI ports USB docking station dual monitor adapter docking station for laptop dock laptop docking station dual monitor laptop docking stations mac docking station MacBook pro docking station USB 3.0 dockin...

tinyurl.com

thanks very much - so a hardware docking station w software driver - this looks like it will give me three displays. If that is in addition to the built in display (meaning a total of four) that's actually one more than I am currently using on the Mac Mini.

thanks!

w

 

[rafark]

One option would be to back it all up and downgrade macOS back to a version that seemed to run "fast."

Unfortunately this is not feasible if you want to run most apps. Most apps nowadays seem to require the latest version of OS X or a not so old version. This is one of the few things I dislike about OS X (and modern software in general). Everyone seems to expect you to update to the latest version as soon as it’s available.

For example, chrome supports Mojave and newer, which is just one version ahead of the OS X that 2018 macs shipped with, which means the op would be left behind in a year or two if he downgrades. Most software I’ve seen requires 10.15 or 11 or even 12. (Photoshop requires Mac OS 11)

 

[MallardDuck]

The hardware hacks for additional monitors have real limitations - from OS support to performance. Really recommend getting the right machine for the number you want to run (M1 pro for 2, M1 max for 4).

Note that the M1 Max can only run three 5k monitors - one on each TB port (you can't daisychain/share ports). The 4 monitors is for 4K.

Modern Mac OS's do charge management automatically, so much less need for Al Dente than there used to be.

The 14" pro is a damn nice machine for a two monitor setup FWIW.

 

[MallardDuck]

Unfortunately this is not feasible if you want to run most apps. Most apps nowadays seem to require the latest version of OS X or a not so old version. This is one of the few things I dislike about OS X (and modern software in general). Everyone seems to expect you to update to the latest version as soon as it’s available.

For example, chrome supports Mojave and newer, which is just one version ahead of the OS X that 2018 macs shipped with, which means the op would be left behind in a year or two if he downgrades. Most software I’ve seen requires 10.15 or 11 or even 12. (Photoshop requires Mac OS 11)

And of course, only Ventura is guaranteed to get security patches. Monterey get's most, but not all. Older than that, you're at risk.

 

[anakin44011]

Just FYI...Yesterday, Costco had the M1 Mac mini for $299 -- this becomes a no-brainer for anyone using an older Mac mini.

 

[JamesMay82]

Personally I don't see a point of having a Mac desktop myself as Mac is my main machine I want to be able to take it anywhere with me.

I’m starting to think like that but still quite undecided.

I think I’m going to order a studio display to try with my work m1 air and personal iPad Pro and if it goes well then look to new laptop for personal use

 

[NeonNights]

I use a CalDigit SOHO dock to connect my M1 MBA to a 43" 4K TV. This gets around the one external monitor limit, and is also a cheap equivalent to four 21.5" 1080 monitors. Easy dock and undock with a single USBc cable.

The M1 MBA has been great for the past 2.5 years but I want to upgrade to a Max chip and undecided between a Mac Studio desktop or MacBook Pro 14 or 16. I don't really need another laptop though. Being able to take it on the go would be nice but I work from home now and don't need the portability factor as much anymore.

 

[JamesMay82]

I use a CalDigit SOHO dock to connect my M1 MBA to a 43" 4K TV. This gets around the one external monitor limit, and is also a cheap equivalent to four 21.5" 1080 monitors. Easy dock and undock with a single USBc cable.

The M1 MBA has been great for the past 2.5 years but I want to upgrade to a Max chip and undecided between a Mac Studio desktop or MacBook Pro 14 or 16. I don't really need another laptop though. Being able to take it on the go would be nice but I work from home now and don't need the portability factor as much anymore.

View attachment 2194635

Do you not risk burn in using a tv as opposed to dedicated monitor? Ive just started researching but there always seem to be negatives

 

[NeonNights]

Do you not risk burn in using a tv as opposed to dedicated monitor? Ive just started researching but there always seem to be negatives

Burn-in is a potential risk for plasma and OLED TVs. LCDs do not suffer from burn-in. I've used the 4K LCD TV as a monitor for almost a year now. No image retention issues at all, not that I was concerned about it in the first place. The TV is LCD, just like a monitor or the display on a MacBook or past iPads/iPhones.

 

[rafark]

And of course, only Ventura is guaranteed to get security patches. Monterey get's most, but not all. Older than that, you're at risk.

Ah... the ‘security patches’ argument. I feel like companies have used this excuse to force people to update (to either make you pay for an anual subscription or to get you to update your device, and so on). You won’t necessarily be ‘hacked’ if you use an older version, except in very specific cases with very serious vulnerabilities. And I say it as a developer. Most of the time you’ll be fine. Previous versions of OS X were plenty secure.

 

[bballers29]

Just FYI...Yesterday, Costco had the M1 Mac mini for $299 -- this becomes a no-brainer for anyone using an older Mac mini.

Wow. That’s a good deal. The website says it’s out of stock now. Do you think they will get more inventory? Also, is there a way to easily track when these Costco deals become available or do you just have to check the website?