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Using MacBook Air M1 as a desktop?

Currently using an m1 air as a desktop with a ~$40 anker usbc hub.
It works great. As long as you can live with one monitor. I mostly use it in clamshell mode when hooked up to the external monitor. A laptop screen and a big monitor is just not the same as having two big monitors side by side.

Yes you have got to unplug it if you’re going to take it with you…seems like a strange thing to complain about. Of course you have to unplug it.

$299 for an m1 mini is a really great deal. My guess is you’ll have to see if your local costco has it in stock. Costco doesn’t show local inventory on their website I don’t think.
 
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bballers29 said:
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?
Click to expand...
I think it is unavailable online, but some locations may have stock.

I'm very blessed to have a Costco in my home town. It is like having a secret tax break. Costco plus a vacuum sealer is just...well...awesome.

But getting back to Macs...I heard about the deal on another MacRumors thread. Clearly, Apple has a bit of M1 and M2 inventory to move...so if you want/need a standard config, you should be able to score a great deal.
 
rafark said:
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.
Click to expand...
I agree, but...

1. Does the average user know how to practice safe computing practices? Does the average user not download illegal programs or go to those "bad" websites?

2. Can the average user learn to use other programs when the programs they are used to using no longer work? For example, a bank may require the latest version of a web browser for security purposes - can a user change to another web browser to gain access?

3. Does the average user even know what it means to "get hacked" and how to prevent it? I mean, a hacker isn't sitting someplace in North Korea trying to access people's laptop computers to get banking passwords.

I can see why Apple encourages people to always upgrade. But if you're using safe computing practices, I think a person is still safe using MacOS 10.13 - High Sierra (able to run on computers from 2009!).
 
I’m currently using an M1 MBA (base model) as a desktop with a UGreen dongle that has Ethernet, power delivery and HDMI, so only one USB-C port on the MBA is used. It connected to a 4K 27” display.

It works great. The only thing I noticed is that the MBA runs a little warmer than when not connected to an external display.

And because of what I need for work, I do end up using a bit of swap memory, so I kinda wish I had 16 GB if unified memory.
Apart from that I’m kinda wondering if I even still need my Mac mini sometimes 😬
 
wfriedwald said:
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
Click to expand...
I do it every day. M1 MBA running a 5k2k ultra wide.

Runs like a dream.
 
Just another data point as it sounds like you were happy with a Mac Mini + macbook air combo.
The M2 Mac mini supports 2 monitors (6k+5k) and the M2Pro Mac mini 3 monitors.

I personally prefer having only one computer so it's a laptop for me.

If you decide to upgrade to a m1 Pro or m2 Pro macbook pro for dual monitor setup then the best dock I've found is the caldigit TS4. With just one thunderbolt 4 cable to your laptop you will be able to drive up to 2*6k displays, plenty of usb stuff and ethernet.
 
wfriedwald said:
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
Click to expand...
I use mine with an external display and the internal display when I’m at the home office. I’ve considered getting a portable monitor for the work offices, but haven’t yet (I work from a number of locations).

I just use the M1 keyboard and no dock. One thing to be aware of is that a USB-C to USB-C cable is the best option for an external monitor - I’ve got an iiyama monitor which is great, but didn’t work too well well a USB-C to HDMI converter.
 
For those of you who primarily use your MacBook Air with an external monitor, do you always have your computer connected to the charger? I don’t know what best practices are for preserving the computer’s internal battery.
 
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What about a single but larger monitor connected with a single USB C cable that also charge your laptop?


I use my MBA as a 2nd smaller monitor, in front of a 32" monitor: 1 single cable on my desk, 2 sharp monitors, easy to disconnect and take the MBA with me, use the MBA peripherals (trackpad, webcam etc) Check out Samsung M7, a 300€ 32" 4k monitor.
 
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bballers29 said:
For those of you who primarily use your MacBook Air with an external monitor, do you always have your computer connected to the charger? I don’t know what best practices are for preserving the computer’s internal battery.
Click to expand...
When docked it is constantly plugged in but I've noticed MacOS automatically reducing charge limit to 80%. Sometimes it still stays at 100% for a few days but then drops back to 80% for a period of time. Others have recommended an app called AlDente to force charge limit at 80% all the time when plugged in but I've just left it to MacOS to govern.
 
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If OP has an iPad, it may be worth considering how Universal Control might help, depending on the use case. I find that setting my Air and iPad next to my Macbook Pro can be quite helpful for the additional screen space. Controlling them all from the same place makes it practical to use them all during the same work session.
 
NeonNights said:
When docked it is constantly plugged in but I've noticed MacOS automatically reducing charge limit to 80%. Sometimes it still stays at 100% for a few days but then drops back to 80% for a period of time. Others have recommended an app called AlDente to force charge limit at 80% all the time when plugged in but I've just left it to MacOS to govern.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the software suggestion! I think I will purchase that.
 
NeonNights said:
When docked it is constantly plugged in but I've noticed MacOS automatically reducing charge limit to 80%. Sometimes it still stays at 100% for a few days but then drops back to 80% for a period of time. Others have recommended an app called AlDente to force charge limit at 80% all the time when plugged in but I've just left it to MacOS to govern.
Click to expand...
I tried Al dente but i decided to just let mac os handle it as well. Aldente comes with some warnings that it could cause damage somehow. Better to just let the os handle it. I have a 2011 MacBook Pro that has been plugged in probably 80% of the time for 12 years and its battery is still good. Im not worried about it.
 
Spock said:
You are limited to just one external display on the M1 MacBook Air, keep that in mind.
Click to expand...
Not entirely, I use 2 side displays using a dell displaylink adapter/dock in addition to the native display output
 
wfriedwald said:
oh thanks - this is it, then:
tinyurl.com

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
Click to expand...
It is actually really good. I used a M1 MBA in clamshell mode aka Desktop. The displaylink adapter works really well. In addition, I bought a pretty cheap multiport dock that has a power-through and plugged it into that dock.
 
entropyfl said:
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
Click to expand...
The main negative I see in that setup is 1990s-era pixel density -- something like ~85ppi by my estimate?

That huge display is meant to be looked at across a room, not 2' away from your face.
 
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wfriedwald said:
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
Click to expand...

I just use a simple Twelve south curve stand, while the MBA is connected via Bluetooth to an Apple Keyboard and a Microsoft bluetooth mouse. I have a single Samsung ViewFinity S8 monitor which is thunderbolt enabled and have only one cable routing into the MBA. All the rest of my cables are routed in the monitor like my USB-C to Lighting cable, an external SSD and a few others. The MBA can only do output to one device, however as someone had posted on here, if you had an iPad you use can use Sidecar as an external monitor.
 
ignatius345 said:
The main negative I see in that setup is 1990s-era pixel density -- something like ~85ppi by my estimate?

That huge display is meant to be looked at across a room, not 2' away from your face.
Click to expand...
Fair point. The density is 102 ppi, clearly not "retina" level but at 2.5ft away I cant discern any pixels or screen-door effect with my middle-aged eyes. In order to make out individual pixels I have to be 10-inches away from the screen, beyond that everything looks very smooth, clear, and sharp.

Even with glasses I can't use the native resolution comfortably anyways. In Windows I have to scale it to 125% and in MacOS I keep it one setting above "more space".

It is especially handy having a large display when looking at something together with my wife. We don't have to huddle around a small screen and can comfortably sit or stand beside each other to examine photos, discuss an article, or plot a road trip with a wide view of Google Maps. For $250, I'm quite happy with the 43" 4K TV versus a higher-res but smaller $1500 Studio Display. To each their own :)
 
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MallardDuck said:
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.
Click to expand...
Exactly this. When building a new desktop setup it is IMO bad decision making to start with a kludge of a low-end MBA not intended for multi-display desktop usage. Smart buying means selecting a box that will drive the increasingly heavy demands it will see over the 3-5 year life of the box. It sounds like you should have an upper-end Mini or a MBP; those areb made for your intended usage.
 
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bballers29 said:
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?
Click to expand...
Costco deals are usually (always?) base model. Buying an older M1 generation Mini with 8 GB RAM is a big mistake for most users when we are about to enter the M3 generation.
 
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wfriedwald said:
what does it take to use the M1 MacBook Air as a desktop?
Click to expand...
I used one for heavy tasks. Replaced it with a high level Mac Studio and most of the time I can’t tell the difference.

All you need is a keyboard and mouse/trackpad. I found the display to be too small (after stubbornly trying to make it work for months) so I would recommend an external monitor.

One downside with laptops is that you take them with you, and that wrecks havoc on window management.
 
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wfriedwald said:
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
Click to expand...
I use a dock for one display, and AirPlay to the other display. Works well. Can’t use the laptop screen, but the 2 large ones are nice.
 
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