Mac Setup: A Clean & Simple iMac Workstation

Feb 22, 2015 - 25 Comments

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This weeks featured Mac setup is the really nice and clean minimalist desk setup of Joseph C.. Let’s jump to it and learn a bit more about this workstation and the apps that keep it going… don’t miss the great bonus fields wallpaper too!

Tell us a bit about what you do and how you came to use Macs?

I have been using Macs since 2004 when i got a iBook. I slowly moved over from Window, and used them throughout college and university.

I had been working in publishing, then moved on to video work, and I am currently making another transition into media marketing.

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What hardware makes up your Apple setup?

  • iMac 27″ (mid 2011) – 2.7 GHz Intel core 5, 16 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 RAM (recently upgraded from the basic 4 GB), 1 TB hard drive
  • MacBook Pro 13″ (mid 2012) – 2.5 GHz Intel core 5, 4 GB 1600 Mhz DDR3 RAM, 500 GB hard drive
  • iPad mini (1st Gen 16 GB White)
  • iPhone 5s (32 GB Gold)
  • iPod Classic 16 GB
  • iPod Shuffle 2GB
  • Mackie CR3 3″ monitor speakers black (just upgraded from XtremeMac Tango bar. Very good product just wanted speakers that where better quality with a little more bass to them)
  • WD 2TB External Desktop Hard Drive
  • Intenso 1 Tb External hard drive (used for Time Machine backup

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What do you use the Apple gear for? Why this setup?

I use my the setup for all my day to day stuff, everything from web browsing, music, films, and whatever else may come up. I also use it to do my own editing work as I like to film little videos and take pictures. As I am changing fields, when that is complete the laptop will go back to being almost solely for work use and if i am not at home.

I use the iPad for writing letters, emails, stories, and layouts for my personal projects, as well as general stuff. Though recently it has been used as a remote for both iMac and MacBook with the help of the Alfred app. It is fantastic and helps workflow a lot, just with a few small controls that you can change to fit you.

Even if I wasn’t going to use my setup for work and my own projects, I would still buy Apple products, just because I prefer the software and feel over Windows computers (this is just a preference, nothing against Windows of course).

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What app do you use most often?

Mac Apps

  • Final Cut Pro
  • Photoshop
  • Pixelmator
  • Evernote
  • Pages
  • Final Draft
  • Air Mail
  • Chrome
  • iTunes (People complain about this but i think it great. couldn’t live without it)
  • VLC
  • Lightroom
  • Alfred
  • Dropbox & copy
  • Better Snap Tool (Great on the iMac)
  • Tweetdeck
  • Macbooster 2
  • Monity (best addition to the notification centre i can think of)

iPad/iPhone Apps

  • Instagram
  • Alfred remote
  • copy & Dropbox
  • iTunes remote
  • Pages
  • various default ones

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Do you have any productivity tips or workspace advice you want to share?

I’ve found that I am very lucky with my set up, but all that matters is not how fancy it is, but rather if you are happy with it. I also find that if you set up whatever you have in a way you like, that it just works so much better.

  • Keeping the area clean and tidy helps me (sometimes this is hard to keep up with but overall tidiness is the way forward) .
  • One of my main problems is deciding what wallpaper to use. I go through so many in the space of a week but when I find one, it always helps me. I have attached my current wallpaper in use on the iMac and MacBook Pro, I created it myself (click the thumbnail below to open the full sized wallpaper, the file resolution is 4752 × 3168) .
  • Field wallpaper from Joseph C

  • Keeping the folders and storage managed well, I found that is a very good way to be able to find what you want and need without losing anything
  • In terms of work, if it is more writing and editing based rather than video and sound related, I find to have music on gets me through whatever I am doing. Always helps to have a wide range of music, anything from death metal to folk music. Always something to fit your mood.
  • I like to keep note pads and books etc floating around, sometimes you can not beat a good old pen and pad for ideas and notes.
  • Added some of your own flare to the desk is always nice so it feels like your space (thats why I have my movie themed coaster and LEGO tumbler on mine)

Do you have a Mac setup or Apple workstation you want to share with OSXDaily? Go here to get started, or you can browse through other featured Mac setups too, there are many great desks and setups out there!

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Posted by: OSXDaily in Mac Setups

25 Comments

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  1. Walle says:

    Movie editing with 1 screen? Can’t believe that Final cut is an often used app.
    Difficulties with your wallpaper??? I never see my wallpaper cause I actually work on my mac!
    You make me lough!

    This is no more than an Apple goodie show off
    And put your studio speakers in an agle of 30 degrees! This way you miss the sweet spot!

  2. Golfwar says:

    Posting a picture of this guys iMac config is as dumb as them posting a photo of my Honda CRV parked in my driveway. It’s simply not noteworthy!

  3. OSX-streetstories says:

    The good: this column on desktop setups is good for the software users mention they’re using. I learn about stuff I didn’t know about, like VLC, Monity, Better Snap Tool, and Alfred.

    I don’t have the time to pour over apps so value Joseph C’s citing what he uses.

    You will notice that there are NO PLACES in the Apple-sphere where a (fill in the blank professional…) can learn about what application software works best….so, second best is this site. Thanks Joseph C for contributing.

    • Paul says:

      Indeed recommending software is so user specific and job specific that, outside of some of the obvious cases (like Dropbox or BBEdit) it can be quite challenging. For many, Pixelmator is sufficient for graphics editing, but an editing pro or Photoshop junky would argue that it’s not nearly sufficient for production. The same arguments apply to almost all software, it’s hard to accurately review for a specific profession.

      • OSX-streetstories says:

        You, Paul, are soooo right. It is hard.

        And that’s precisely my point. Hearing from specific professionals about what they find good/bad at least points to what might or might not work for a like professional, even if micro-opinions differ.

        I have yet, for example, to find a good (sign this doc on my tablet) application….or, and this is really sad, even a decent calendar program (yeah, I’ve tried Fantastic, and Sunrise, etc).

  4. venkat says:

    How do you sync the documents between our office and home Mac?
    I work usually in MS Office for Mac and find it difficult to remember once I come home and update those changes in home computer

  5. mrbaxteria says:

    Wow, great setup. Everything looks organize.

  6. Charlie says:

    I like your setup, very nice, very clean and organized.

    I see you use Air Mail. Do you use that with the Apple Mail program that comes with your iMac or do you use Air Mail instead of Apple Mail? What do you find better about Air Mail over Apple Mail?

  7. Joseph.c says:

    You are welcome for the wallpaper.
    Yeah I only moved into this house a few months ago and I have some movie posters in frames to go up there.

    I have both trackpad and mouse because I got the mouse before I got the iMac so when I got that I decided to get that instead. They work really well together as trackpad is much better for gestures I find

    Yeah it is a bit apple themed I must say. That wasn’t the plan just kind of ended up that way

  8. Brain Dead Homer is Back says:

    Howw-dee do folks. Joseph would u consider donating your old and outdated ( 1st gen ) iPad and Macbook Pro 13, since they really can’t cut it for video editing. U see, I’m poor and don’t have much. Please consider giving to ole Homer. BTW …. I really like your drapes, are they from K-Mart ? Cool

  9. Jeff says:

    Center-Fold for an Apple mag?

  10. Shilo Watts says:

    ‘I slowly moved over from Window,…”

    This guy has been using Microsoft products from when it was a single window.

    As for the desk, boring.

  11. Michael S says:

    Why both the magic mouse and the track pad?

  12. Steve says:

    These articles are absurd. Apple equipment all looks the same and they made a limited range of models. Customized gaming PC’s are at least somewhat interesting to look at. Who cares if some guy has exactly the same Mac equipment on his desk as millions of other people?

    • Bruuh says:

      Steve, why are you such a grump bro? Don’t grump out bro, the comments are for love, not grumping. Drink some coffee or have a beer, relax, and share your Mac with us. What kind of Mac do you use, Steve? I love desk posts, gives you an idea of how people work, what they do, how they’re doing it, they’re cool. Like Mathew McConahahayhey or however you spell that cool bro guys name in the Lincoln car commercials, don’t do it because it’s cool, do it because you like it bro, like it. I bet you Mathew McConahoy uses a Mac too, I bet you he does.

    • bdkennedy1 says:

      Agreed. Ok, folks, raise your hands if you could care less what someone else’s desk looks like.

      We get it. There’s a Mac on a desk. Sometimes there’s a Mac and a MacBook Pro. There are speakers and a keyboard.

      • WhoCaresYouCare says:

        You care enough to comment on what this desk looks like, with Macs on it too. Do you interject yourself and your opinions into everything you don’t care about, or only about desks with Macs on them?

      • Hex says:

        You know, there’s no requirement for you to read if you don’t like it.

    • Essee says:

      These articles are absurd? You must have looked at them enough to want to comment. Chill out man.

  13. PuffDaddy says:

    Puff says thumbs down dude get some style.

  14. Mike says:

    You need some wallpaper on the wall, or at least a few pictures. Looks too sterile to me.

  15. Todd says:

    This looks a lot like my desk. Really like the wallpaper, thanks for that.

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