In a move Tuesday that should catch the eyes of Mac-loving creative professionals, Logitech unveiled MX Creative Console. The new device aims to streamline workflows and automate repetitive tasks for digital creators. So it could rival the popular Elgato Stream Deck.
“The MX Creative Console is designed to help people redefine their workflow, enabling them to work smarter and faster,” said Anatoliy Polyanker, general manager of MX Business at Logitech.
If you love your iPad, there’s no reason to buy a second computer. Add a few accessories and you can quickly transform an iPad into an iMac mini — a small desktop computer easily up to personal use.
I use an iPad as my primary computer, so I have some recommendations for items to take your tablet to the next level.
Today’s M1 Mac mini user highly recommends a killer keyboard we rarely see in setups, from a brand we see everywhere in setups — Keychron. The maker’s popular K line of affordable keebs features a full-size mode that doesn’t show up all that often, perhaps because many folks favor smaller ones these days, eschewing the number pad.
If you keep dual displays in your setup but you stack them rather than placing them side by side, where does the webcam go? That question came up with today’s MacBook Pro setup. And the user had a surprising answer that he claims works well.
Many users out there on social media can’t seem to get enough external displays into their computer setups. Sometimes we see as many as six big screens. But don’t forget a simple way you can always add another small screen. Namely, don’t just add your MacBook open on the desk or on a stand. Include your iPad, too. Today’s M1 MacBook Air user proudly has his M4 iPad Pro mirror on Studio Display as it sits in the mix on a Twelve South stand.
We’ve seen a trend for some time of people using massive smart TVs as external computer displays because they want something even bigger than most purpose-built monitors. But regular monitors are catching up. We’ve seen a few 49-inch curved gaming displays out there, of course, and today’s MacBook Pro setup uses a giant 43-inch Dell flat panel with 4K resolution.
Not many USB microphones favored by streamers and podcasters eclipse the big names like Shure, Sennheiser and Rode. But one example that comes close is the Blue Yeti USB mic. Once a rising mainstay in a oddball startup’s lineup, now it’s a mainstay for peripherals giant Logitech. And it remains popular and even award-winning. Today’s Mac Studio rig relies on one.
★★★★☆
Logitech Keys-to-Go 2 for iPad is the portable keyboard for those who need to type on the go but don’t want a keyboard built into their tablet’s case. It’s a standalone accessory designed to travel with a tablet or be left behind when it’s not needed.
I tested the very slim and lightweight product with my iPad Pro and my iPhone 15. Its extreme portability makes it useful in situations that more typical keyboards are not.
Perusing computer setups online, we love to point out great deals on great gear when they come along. In today’s M1 Mac mini setup, the 27-inch external 4K display looks like a gem, with great features at a low price.
The difference between a good webcam and a mediocre one can be revealing — you either look and sound good or you look and sound like crap. So if you’d rather take the professional road to quality videoconferencing and self-made videos, a good device like the Logitech C920 HD Pro Webcam in today’s M1 MacBook Air is a great way to get there.
For those unfamiliar with NZXT, it’s a company based in Los Angeles that makes high-performance gaming PCs and the gear that goes with them. Today’s M1 Mac mini setup relies on a raft of NZXT devices, including a NZXT Function keyboard. It’s a customizable mechanical keeb designed for gamers with some pretty high-level functionality.
Not being huge PC gamers, we aren’t particularly familiar with NZXT, a company based in Los Angeles that makes high-performance gaming PCs and the gear that goes with them. So when we saw today’s M1 Mac mini setup looking like a giant ad for NZXT, we thought we’d give it a look. The user loves his NZXT Relay lineup of gear, including powerful speakers and a wired headset with a surprisingly functional stand.
If you want great sound out of your computer setup, you need excellent speakers, of course. But if you work with music rather than just listening to it, you also need a top audio interface to run between your computer and other gear. Today’s MacBook Pro setup incorporates one of our top picks in a recent roundup of best audio interfaces for Mac and pairs it with a nice set of Yamaha speakers.
★★★★☆
Logitech’s Combo Touch keyboard case for the new M4 iPad Pro offers nearly everything Apple’s beloved Magic Keyboard case does. And the Logitech version includes features Apple’s does not.
I put both peripherals through hands-on testing. Here’s where the Combo Touch comes out ahead … and where it doesn’t.
Ever since computers like iMac G3 pulled off the trick, transparent computer gear has come in and out of style. And now transparent keyboards are having a bit of a moment. One good example is the Yunzii X75 Mechanical Keyboard seen in today’s MacBook Pro setup.
Cult of Mac‘s setups coverage loves to look at premium products, but we often emphasize value with thrifty-but-reliable gear. Today we marvel, however, at just how much one desk lamp can cost. Our MacBook Pro user places a $650 Dyson Solarcycle Morph Desk Light on a very nice Vari sit-stand desk.
Do people really pay that much for a lamp? Even our user claims it was a gift, not a purchase.
While many computer setups shown off on social media look suspiciously immaculate, the truth is we tend to live at our desks and make a big mess of them routinely. Stuff just piles up. But a great way to keep your workstation clean and organized is to deploy one of the best fixes — a pegboard for setup storage.
With pegboards, you can put practically anything right on your wall, like today’s MacBook Pro user does. We’ve seen some pretty strong negative reactions to them, but there’s no denying their effectiveness.
Some people are happy typing away on quiet membrane keyboards like Apple’s Magic Keyboard. Others are obsessed with pimping out their clickity-clackety mechanical keebs with the exact key caps, switches and design flourishes they prefer. Today’s M3 Pro MacBook Pro setup goes for the latter style with a Keychron Q2 custom mechanical keyboard.
It’s an excellent, moderately affordable option in a crowded market.
Mac users in the market for a new desktop keyboard have new options from Logitech. There are small and large models and an ergonomic one, too. Plus a mouse.
The additions to the lineup include MX Keys S for Mac, MX Keys S Combo for Mac, MX Anywhere 3S for Mac, MX Keys Mini for Mac (in Space Gray), and Ergo Series Wave Keys for Mac.
Amazon bargain site Woot! did it again this week with another killer sale. This time it’s deals on Logitech peripherals and accessories going for anywhere from $5 to $255. The list of 60 items includes keyboards, mice, iPad folios, webcams, headsets and other gaming gear, and more.
And if it’s Woot!, there must be a cheeky phrase at the top of the sale page: “This isn’t logitech, captain.” – Science Officer Sprock.
Streamers and podcasters often worry over their choices of microphones and audio interfaces for sound quality. But they shouldn’t forget to select great co-stars for that gear like the Elgato Wave Microphone Arm.
A good microphone boom arm makes working with the mic easy, especially in a computer setup where you need to move it aside to do other tasks. Today’s MacBook Pro and Studio Display setup makes great use of the extremely popular Elgato Wave Microphone Arm supporting an Audio-Technica mic.
And right now you can get one version of the suspension boom microphone arm for 20% off at Amazon ($99.99 $79.99), and it’s the one our user deploys.
Something as simple as the right lamp can make a huge difference in a computer setup. Today’s sexy M3 Max MacBook Pro and Studio Display workstation benefits from a big, wide, clamp-on double-headed Pzloz LED Desk Lamp to brilliantly light the scene.
So it seems sometimes an overhead lamp can beat a monitor light bar, especially on a big, wide desk.
Apple unveiled the 2024 iPad Pro and iPad Air on Tuesday, and third-party accessory-makers were prepared. Logitech, Otterbox, Zagg, Pitaka and ESR have all already unveiled peripherals for the new tablets.
There are keyboard cases, cases, screen protectors ands more.
Another Mac and PC computer setup stands in the spotlight today — this time a MacBook Pro and PC laptop driving a 4K display and an array of peripherals through an Orico Thunderbolt 3 dock bristling with 15 ports.
The setup emphasizes gaming, too, with a PlayStation 5 mounted under the desk. We’ll take a look at that, too.
Today’s beautiful MacBook Pro and PC setup lets the two “frenemy” computers work easily in the same setup through a 4K external display’s built-in KVM switch. That means no messing around with cables, and no swapping out or re-pairing peripherals.