Mac Setup: A Quadruple Display Mac Pro Workstation
This weeks featured Mac setup is the amazing quadruple tiled display desk of Teemu A., who uses this great workstation to run and manage a startup. Let’s jump right in to learn more about the hardware and software used to get things done.
Tell us a bit about what you use your Apple gear for?
I’m running a startup with currently 32 live products, an 8 people development team and a 3 people production team for 16+ hours per day, across many timezones – it’s essential that I’ve got maximum productivity at all times, all the critical info available, and no second guessing about where everything is. Due to the hectic schedule and the fact that it’s needed to switch ‘hats’ on the fly several times a day, this setup really makes things effortless and let’s me focus on getting the job done.
What hardware makes up your setup?
Apple hardware:
- Mac Pro 3.5 8-Core, 64GB RAM
- MacBook Pro
- iPad Air
- iPhone 6
Non-Apple hardware:
- Galaxy S5
- 4 x LG 34″ 34UC87M-B curved UltraWide displays
- Wacom Cintiq
- Wacom Intuos Pro
- KAB Controller Chair
- Ball Chair (for meetings)
(for meetings)
Why did you go with this specific setup?
This setup allows me to run high volume of apps and tasks simultaneously – I previously tried fully loaded MacBook Pro and iMac and literally ‘fried’ both within a year… at the moment there’s little headroom to grow which is for the first time, awesome.
What apps do you use most often?
- XCode
- Sublime Text
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Illustrator
- AfterFX
- Logic Pro X
- FinalCutPro X
- Motion
- Resolume Arena
- Wirecast
- Skype
- Chrome
- Dropbox
- SpyderOak
- GoogleDocs
- Keynote
What apps could you not do without?
Dropbox, hands down oh and Google Docs
Of course I should say my own productivity app with timezone task management here too, and Wirecast which makes the online meetings look really slick.
Do you have a favorite app for Mac or for iOS?
Our own apps are obviously my favorite =-)
Others – at the moment there’s nothing “cool” out there anymore… Keynote used to be my swiss army knife but then something happened to Apple and they don’t seem to understand anymore where the world is heading and what Keynote in 2015 should be / do.
Do you have any productivity tricks you want to share?
When managing multiple projects at the same time you really need to think forward quite a lot. In my case that means pre-scheduling emails, social media, tasklists… I also automate a lot of tasks with small in-house apps or AppleScripts, most important ones are stack of pre-written replies to emails, Dropbox folders ready to be shared when time comes. All automated with scripts either via timer or manual button from our own productivity tool.
I also keep everything in sync, so if I step outside of the ‘command center’ I’ve got same ToDo list running with task timers on all devices simultaneously, so for being outside it often looks that I never really left the office.
–
Do you have an interesting Mac workstation you want to share with OSXDaily? It’s pretty easy, answer some questions about your setup, take a few good pictures, and send it all in. Go here to get started, or you can opt to just browse through previously featured Mac setups too.
Cool setup, but i understand the criticism, especially if the argument is that vcs want their money to be spent in the company.
Or is your product this “productivity tool” itself?
Anyway i certainly looks cool and most probably is a lot of fun.
Teemu, what an impressive setup you have going on there…..!
I’m blown away. What do you use for sound. I see what looks like a small rectangular speaker below the monitors.
I love the haters too, worrying about the money spent on you’re setup…!
Thank and good luck to you……..!
Very nice setup. I was wanting to know what kind of desk you have in your setup?
Nice looking setup!
Are you daisy chaining the DisplayPorts between the monitors?
I have a pair of Dell UP2414Q monitors and if I enable DisplayPort 1.2 on either monitor it disables the secondary DisplayPort on my Macbook Pro. So, I’m forced to run in legacy DisplayPort mode at a reduced resolution to even get two monitors running. :(
nice setup… I’m just amazed how many haters are kindof “complaining” about the money spent… Guys, whoever paid for this, it’s smart, it’s called a productivity tool !
LOL “haters gonna hate, hate, hate
Baby I’m just gonna shake, shake, shake
Shake it off” :)
nice way to spend up that small business loan… not like he had that money on his own
dunno what loan you’re talking about – our business or me don’t haven’t loaned a penny since 90’s..and for your earlier comment – of course it all can be done with $200 PC but same way you get across country by bus..or you can fly.
Really nice! but remember to take care of you neck :)
Teemu: We’re in kind of the same business, with a lot of the same goals. I’d love to have some regular correspondence about our work. You’ll figure out how to find me.
The following 34-inch 3440×1440 monitors are curved:
Acer Predator XR341CK (coming by June).
Dell U3415W
HP Z34c
LG 34UC87 (shown in this article)
Samsung S34E790C
I used to use a 2×2 setup like this, but with four Lenovo 22-inch 1920×1200 monitors, two of them driven by DisplayLink USB adapters. Then I split that setup in two to use one vertical stack at work, the other at home together with the GiMeSpace Desktop Extender, an $18 software utility that lets me create a virtual desktop as large as I please.
Here is the backlit keyboard. http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Fast-Free-Shipping-Bastron-Glass-Touch-Smart-Keyboard-with-Blue-LED-backlight-for-desktop-computer-material/32259145628.html
At first glance, I thought the owner of this set up is a trader….. Love the curved monitors!
What secondary backlit keyboard is that?
it’s actually for PC (what a shame have to have one of those inside my mac) and brand called ‘bastron’ http://www.bastron.com.cn/
I got this from CES after begging the company rep for two days for it
Hmm. Not impressed, actually. I’d like to know what startup blows this kind of money on this kind of hardware.
it’s not startups money :) #chillpill
its an SBA loan, shows how irresponsible one can be when given money to start a business… all that can be done on a 27 inch iMac… and if you want to splurge get the 5K…
and i dont believe that a new out of the box iMac is frying within a year…. apple computers are the best built in the industry… thats why we pay so much…
Can you tell me how do you connect the 4 monitors? I are they connected to the same mac?
The new Mac Pros can drive all these monitors. The Dual D500s have the ports.
Can someone tell me what monitor stands those are?
$25,000 Mac Pro setup. Nice.
Great setup! I love the monitors.
Would be good to know the name of your company and your apps?
I can see this setup is also, ‘because you can’. And that makes flying or gaming (the joystick) a lot nicer….!
what desk/table is that? Anyone knows?
Been looking for a good inexpensive solution for my home office that fits 2 monitors, is ergonomic, that lets me rest a good part of my forearm on the table when I use the mouse.
Great setup,btw what company makes your chair(car looking)
It’s called KAB http://www.kabseating.com/office/product.asp?product=79
Thanks!
I was wondering the same thing, love the chair look. And the desk setup is great too, must be great to have 4 screens! I have two and I love it.
Well, I can see where the cash is burned up and why so many startup’s fail so quickly.
indeed – in this particular case, no company’s money has been spent..so you can sleep peacefully :)
You do know that VC’s want the company to spend the money they invest in the company, right? That means talent, salaries, acquisitions, hardware, perks, you name it, they want you to spend it.
Same on a grander scale too, every earnings call everyone and their mother is bugging Tim Cook to spend Apple’s cash pile… spend spend spend is the demands of the banks and the big share holders, so they buy back stock, issue dividends, etc.
Corporations in a nutshell: spend money to make money.
Wow nice, what stand can hold the four monitors like that? This must be a 2014 Mac Pro too?
Seeing these setups makes me want one, but it also makes me wonder about Apples commitment to the pro user… Mac Pro is … well you know the story. And the Retina MacBook Pro is good, but could be beefier.
for stand there’s few options – this one is from B&H but LG sells them with monitor separately too
Loving this setup, could you send a link please to what stand you are using.. I need this in my life :)
Can we have the exact ref of the stand you use?
Thanks!
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/593165-REG/Atdec_V_FS_DV_V_FS_DV_Visidec_Freestanding_Double.html