Why do people use clamshell mode?

[MrGunny94]

You know you can pick up a TB or USB3 dock that provides power and hook up everything with one cable, right? My laptop docks to a TS3+, one cable… it’s much easier to deal with than a massive dock that the machine locks into

If you really want one there’s actually more than a few docks you can just drop the machine into like Brydge’s, which are even slicker if that’s your thing, and way more reliable than docks like the duo had, probably is what fits what you’re hoping for

As for extra vram/etc we *did* have the option of TB GPUs until the AS move, I’d bet Apple hasnt restored that capability because 1) they’re confident in the abilities of their GPUs (right or wrong) and 2) there simply wasnt enough demand because it’s not as necessary today

Doesn’t work with dual 4K displays.. I can guarantee you that, need TB4 from CalDigit to make it work 😛 Not too shabby though you just Connect One Thunderbolt cable plus another one for USB-C

 

[Arctic Moose]

Does Optimized Charging limit max. charge to 80% also work in clamshell mode when MBP 14" is in sleep mode between uses?

Yes. Mine has hovered around 80% for months.

Doesn’t work with dual 4K displays.. I can guarantee you that, need TB4 from CalDigit to make it work 😛 Not too shabby though you just Connect One Thunderbolt cable plus another one for USB-C

It works fine as long as one of the 4K monitors connects through the DisplayPort port on the TS3+.

 

[TinyMito]

I actually don't use it as clamshell, MPB14 doesn't heat up I know, but I like that optical sensor adjust the monitor tone with my external monitor as well. It is easier on my eyes than just pure blue light, and I do know there are apps for this but, I didn't bother.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Because of the limitations on the M1P machines I have 2 displays directly hanging off my TS3+, one on displayport and one off a USBC port with an HDMI adapter, and a third on a displaylink adapter hanging off the TS3.

BTW I dont own one so I could be wrong but I think Brydge’s docks just pass through the connection so you can hang things like a TS3+ off it out of view. In fact, if I’m right, with a M1X machine that would let you drive 3 displays directly just by docking .

as far as which kind of design is more slick I guess that’s personal taste, I would find something like what the duos did clunky and space consuming today.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

You are correct. The Duo Dock today would be visually clunky and space consuming.

 

[kasakka]

Doesn’t work with dual 4K displays.. I can guarantee you that, need TB4 from CalDigit to make it work 😛 Not too shabby though you just Connect One Thunderbolt cable plus another one for USB-C

The most frustrating part to me about all the dock specs is that they list things like "X res at 60 Hz". Well, what about lower res at 120 Hz? You pretty much have to buy and try to see if everything you connect is within bandwidth limits.

To this day it has been easier for me to just dedicate USB-C outs on my MBP one per display and use the leftover one for other connectivity. Eats all the ports though and loses that one cable convenience.

 

[MrGunny94]

The most frustrating part to me about all the dock specs is that they list things like "X res at 60 Hz". Well, what about lower res at 120 Hz? You pretty much have to buy and try to see if everything you connect is within bandwidth limits.

To this day it has been easier for me to just dedicate USB-C outs on my MBP one per display and use the leftover one for other connectivity. Eats all the ports though and loses that one cable convenience.

Also with the dock I get worse arrangements issues than without the dock! Hate when connecting my iPad via Sidecar and coming back after a break and the 3 displays being rearranged it's awful..

 

[0906742]

I do not use clamshell mode, but optimized charging works perfectly well in sleep mode, which is the way I usually leave the displays when I walk away from my desk. And it seems to work fine with the display simply closed but not attached to external connections except the charger.

Which charger you use, included Apple MacBook charger or from the display/dock?

Yes. Mine has hovered around 80% for months.

Sounds promising. Does it even work if occasionally power off MacBook but leave charger plugged in?

Never works for me in the weeks that I have been working from home 100% of th time… Al Dente is really your best option mate trust me

Do you think that might be because you occasionally carry your MacBook with you? I have understood that Optimized Charging function kicks in after it has been plugged in for couple of weeks without interruptions. Not sure how it acts after that in case you use it on battery occasionally if it since the initial delay returns faster back to 80% and keep there or does it take couple of weeks again?

 

[MrGunny94]

Which charger you use, included Apple MacBook charger or from the display/dock?



Sounds promising. Does it even work if occasionally power off MacBook but leave charger plugged in?



Do you think that might be because you occasionally carry your MacBook with you? I have understood that Optimized Charging function kicks in after it has been plugged in for couple of weeks without interruptions. Not sure how it acts after that in case you use it on battery occasionally if it since the initial delay returns faster back to 80% and keep there or does it take couple of weeks again?

It's a great question, I have spent last month 4 weeks at home and never took my M1 Pro from the Thunderbolt dock. And still it kept charging to 100%...

 

[seek3r]

Doesn’t work with dual 4K displays.. I can guarantee you that, need TB4 from CalDigit to make it work 😛 Not too shabby though you just Connect One Thunderbolt cable plus another one for USB-C

I have a UHD and a QHD display off the TS3+ (with another QHD via displaylink), it works just fine…

 

[0906742]

It's a great question, I have spent last month 4 weeks at home and never took my M1 Pro from the Thunderbolt dock. And still it kept charging to 100%...

Interesting, it should definitely have kicked in during that time. Have you tried switching off and then back on Optimized Charging, maybe some glitch causing it being off even it shows on?

 

[Allen_Wentz]

Which charger you use, included Apple MacBook charger or from the display/dock?



Sounds promising. Does it even work if occasionally power off MacBook but leave charger plugged in?



Do you think that might be because you occasionally carry your MacBook with you? I have understood that Optimized Charging function kicks in after it has been plugged in for couple of weeks without interruptions. Not sure how it acts after that in case you use it on battery occasionally if it since the initial delay returns faster back to 80% and keep there or does it take couple of weeks again?

1) At desktop my MBP is plugged in to 3 Viewsonic 4K displays, each to its own USB-C port, and the charging comes via the displays. I have the original charger there too but seldom use it unless I am trying to max the charge rate to go do more unplugged work.

2) Recently I forgot my charger on a week-long work trip and I bought a cheap low-watt charger at an Office Supply. Worked fine, just like I am accustomed to, including slipping into 80% charge mode if I left the laptop plugged in for a couple of days.

3) I do not know what the protocol is that Apple uses to push to 80% charge maintenance, but it is definitely days not weeks; perhaps even as short as 24 hours (probably a sophisticated algorithm however; not simply x hours).

The MBP is a 2016 2.9 GHz i7 with 16 GB RAM running Big Sur. A 6-yo box running heavy graphics means poor battery life compared to modern MBPs, so I get to watch a pretty good test of Apple's battery management. It just works...

 

[Allen_Wentz]

It's a great question, I have spent last month 4 weeks at home and never took my M1 Pro from the Thunderbolt dock. And still it kept charging to 100%...

Wow, that is interesting. Totally opposite from what I experience with the 2016 MBP. I wonder why? Perhaps my 6-yo battery causes 80% maintenance mode to kick in sooner because the algorithm knows mine is a lame old battery. Or perhaps brand-new batteries are not harmed so much by 100%. Or maybe your usage is constantly active enough not to force the battery to maintenance mode; do you ever go several days without using the M1 at all?

 

[robotica]

I've got 2 Thinkvision P27u-20 4k Thunderbolt 4 montors, love those big screens and with one cable docking it just makes a lot of sense to just to use one machine instead of using 2. Plus I can plug in my work Win10 laptop and it just picks up everything as well and I am ready to go with my good equipment rather that the cheap rubbish work offers.

 

[ratsg]

...because you might have a better screen lmao?

this comment so well sums up the best response.

when I'm on the go, the small laptop screen generally works fine.

the rest of the time, I've got an awesome Sun/Oracle Type 7 keyboard, a curved 34" monitor that I paid $$$$ for. The laptop is OK, but when better stuff is available, I'm going to use it.

 

[0906742]

It's a great question, I have spent last month 4 weeks at home and never took my M1 Pro from the Thunderbolt dock. And still it kept charging to 100%...

Interesting. Is it possible your dock cuts power for some reason while MacBook goes to sleep?
Does it even report in MacOS anything about being plugged in constantly? I cannot remember the exact wording it uses to say that it is not used on battery at all recently.

 

[0906742]

Or perhaps brand-new batteries are not harmed so much by 100%. Or maybe your usage is constantly active enough not to force the battery to maintenance mode; do you ever go several days without using the M1 at all?

I don't think it makes any sense if they keep batteries at 100% just because they are new, since that is how to damage them sooner or later. I guess the latter sounds more likely but even then I guess it should have noticed that it is plugged in all the time even not maybe used regularly and there is no point why it should not limit charge to 80% in that case too. Storing or using the battery while it is 100% charged all the time should cause identical wear likely.

What I'm still wondering even if charging limit works keeping battery at 80% charge, is it still constantly using it a bit and then charge back to 80% so that it is still actually being used on battery always, or does it really "disconnect" the battery from use or charge completely? I have a hunch voltage flows thru the battery always in notebooks, not sure they can work like UPS backup power does.

It would be interesting to hear from someone who actually uses their MBP 14" all the time plugged in for long times a day, like full 8 hour work days, how many charge cycles that kind of use causes per month or per year?
I think I saw some thread mentioning something like 12 cycles a month, which sound pretty high to me as that would be 144 cycles a year when you do not actually mean to use it on battery... This is one of the remaining reasons why I'm still thinking before moving from Mac Mini M1 desktop to MBP 14" docked (I would use is as notebook on battery extremely rarely, like once a month).

 

[Mainsail]

I need a desktop 90% of the time. I need a laptop 10% of the time. Therefore, I must have a laptop. I only need 1 screen 99% of the time (there is ONE use case where I use dual screens, only a few times per year, having laptop is advantageous because it has a screen built in), especially when using my LG UltraFine 5K (The "Apple" one).

My 16" MBP Intel is in Clamshell mode 90% of the time. But, i do need a laptop occasionally. And the second screen occasionally.

So that is why i have a laptop and use it in clamshell mode most of the time. I have a feeling that is a common reason and answer to this question.

I think this summarizes it well for most people. Especially if you own an iPad for light mobile productivity, then you might not need to take the laptop with you all that often. However, occasionally when you need a full-on computer whilst away from your desk, you have the laptop.

My MBA can be used in clamshell mode almost the entire month, and I will use the iPad when mobile for email, messages, notes, markups, and document edits. But, once a month, I meet with the bookkeeper and update my analysis of real estate income and expenses. For that task, I drag along the MBA.

 

[Momof9]

This was really good to read. I was wavering between the MBP 14" and the Mac Studio, concerned with the MBP being plugged in all the time - using on a desk. I see many who did get the MBP since there is not anything between the Mac mini and Studio....

Yesterday I used the pricing of the intel Mac mini's with the specs of the MBP 14" and it possibly will only be a few hundred cheaper.... So for the extra money I get a portable Mac (ie to my bedroom if needed).... I was also wavering because I have 2 12/9" iPP's that I use all the time and they are my portable device. But I don't need to take a computer with me to some places...

Now I need to find a good inexpensive dock for 2 monitors and internet.... 🙂

 

[Allen_Wentz]

This was really good to read. I was wavering between the MBP 14" and the Mac Studio, concerned with the MBP being plugged in all the time - using on a desk. I see many who did get the MBP since there is not anything between the Mac mini and Studio....

Yesterday I used the pricing of the intel Mac mini's with the specs of the MBP 14" and it possibly will only be a few hundred cheaper.... So for the extra money I get a portable Mac (ie to my bedroom if needed).... I was also wavering because I have 2 12/9" iPP's that I use all the time and they are my portable device. But I don't need to take a computer with me to some places...

Now I need to find a good inexpensive dock for 2 monitors and internet.... 🙂

The ability to have one's computer capability fully portable is a huge value add for many of us, and a MBP makes an excellent desktop replacement box.

Whether you will want a dock per se or simply some dongles and a USB hub depends on what it specifically takes to drive your external displays. Hopefully one of your displays can be driven by HDMI since Apple lamed the M1 MBPs by reducing the TB ports from 4 to 3. Personally I am hoping that Apple will bring M2 MBPs back up to 4 or more TB ports, but I will not be holding my breath for it.

Note that dialing in how your MBP/desktop displays work may take some attention to detail. E.g. I have different resolutions on different displays for differerent apps. Also note that each time you plug the MBP back into the desktop it might take some time for the MBP and displays hippity-hopping around dialing themselves back into desktop mode; however going from desktop to laptop mode is instant, just requires unplugging.

Currently I use a 2016 MB to drive three 4K displays; perhaps newer model MBPs are less quirky.

P.S. FWIW my 2016 MBP is still on the original battery after 6 years of usage as a combined desktop and laptop box.

 

[spiderman0616]

I just checked the cycle count on my 16" model again and I'm still only at 9 charge cycles--I don't even remember the last time I unplugged it from my desktop, but I believe it was sometime in July when I had COVID and was catching up on some work from the couch. I didn't pay attention to exactly when it went back down to 80% after I docked it again, but it's been docked ever since and is still sitting at 80% right now. I do always shut it completely down for the weekend and boot it back up on Mondays, but I almost never unplug the cable unless I want to dock my 14" MBP.

I've had this machine since the last week of March 2022, and it has been used every week day with the above usage patterns more or less that whole time other than when I got sick and when I took a 3 day work trip with it. The fact that it's already been on one trip with me and still only has 9 charge cycles tells me that I can trust Optimized Battery Charging that's already built into macOS. Also kind of nice to be able to use my work laptop to find this out so I know how much abuse my personal laptop can take. 😉

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

Firstly, going clamshell or not is entirely a user choice - it comes down to what the user prefers and both are supported.

I use clamshell mode because 1) I need the additional desk space, 2) having the extra smaller screen doesn’t enhance my workflow and 3) I would rather have the additional performance from not having to drive two displays.

 

[npjnpj]

A question for all the multiple display clamshell-ers out there...

I've just been testing my 16" M1 Pro with 2 external displays - one 4k Thunderbolt (Dell) and one 5k Thunderbolt (LG).

Both displays run fine with the lid open but in clamshell the 4k runs and the 5k flashes on and off (slowly), like it's attempting to connect, but can't.

I've tested only the 4k and only the 5k connected in clamshell mode and that works fine.

I thought whatever runs with the lid open should also run in clamshell mode. Am I missing something? Is there some kind of limitation here I'm unaware of?

I've had a hard time googling this so thought I'd ask here.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

A question for all the multiple display clamshell-ers out there...

I've just been testing my 16" M1 Pro with 2 external displays - one 4k Thunderbolt (Dell) and one 5k Thunderbolt (LG).

Both displays run fine with the lid open but in clamshell the 4k runs and the 5k flashes on and off (slowly), like it's attempting to connect, but can't.

I've tested only the 4k and only the 5k connected in clamshell mode and that works fine.

I thought whatever runs with the lid open should also run in clamshell mode. Am I missing something? Is there some kind of limitation here I'm unaware of?

I've had a hard time googling this so thought I'd ask here.

Ask Apple. My 2016 MBP runs three 4K displays OK either open or with the lid closed.

 

[npjnpj]

Ask Apple. My 2016 MBP runs three 4K displays OK either open or with the lid closed.

I just spoke to them.

The person didn't seem too knowledgable on the topic... Basically said the 2 displays were using up too much bandwidth as they were both connected via thunderbolt (the 5k is thunderbolt / 4k is USB-C).

His documentation said something about needing to run the 2nd screen via HDMI... Connected the 4k display via HDMI and it supported clamshell mode... but I'd really prefer Thunderbolt (and planned to use one of the newer thunderbolt 4 hubs to connect both via one tb4 connection...)

I always thought the display specs listed were in reference to both lid open AND lid closed... Apparently not!

I would've thought clamshell would have greater display support as it's pushing less pixels... Weird.

(I'm aware that an app like Amphetamine might be my solution... I was trying to avoid it as it needs a 'helper' app that exists outside the Mac App Store...)