29 ms·

And it still only does 1 external monitor on base M3... A $1600 laptop that can only use a single monitor. Wild.

wilsonnb3 3y ago
yeah it is indefensible to me at this point that the base chips are still limited to one external display. I was willing to cut them some slack with the original M1 chip, thinking there might be a decent technical reason for it with their first generation of laptop/desktop chips, but three years later it is absurd
- JumpCrisscross 3y ago
  > it is indefensible to me at this point that the base chips are still limited to one external display They’re the base chip for a reason. Why would you add a feature a small fraction of that chip’s users would use when you can use that space for something else?
  - wilsonnb3 3y ago
    > Why would you add a feature a small fraction of that chip’s users would use when you can use that space for something else? Because it is a basic feature! I am not asking for the moon here, I have no idea why the idea that a laptop should support more than one external monitor is controversial on this site.
    - JumpCrisscross 3y ago
      > Because it is a basic feature Not according to Apple. And, frankly, not according to me. Most laptop users will never hook up an external monitor. They don't need to. That's a fair base case.
      - goosedragons 3y ago
        Most users will never hook up a thunderbolt device so why not just have USB?
        d3w4s9 3y ago
        ...Great counterargument. Also for SD card. I bet that many Macbook users who don't regularly work on photos/videos (e.g. developers) has very little use for SD card reader. And indeed it doesn't exist on MacBook Air. Somehow that is deemed essential on Macbook Pro. But for $1,599 you must be really deep into Apple's shoe to say 8GB and one external monitor is ok.
paulcole 3y ago
It’s not complicated. If you benefit enough from the 2nd external monitor then you can easily afford and justify the upgrade. If you’d just like the 2nd external monitor then go nuts and spend your money on the upgrade. Or don’t and buy a different laptop.
- wilsonnb3 3y ago
  I agree that it isn't complicated, for completely different reasons though. Supporting multiple external monitors is such a basic feature, it is absurd that apple insists on using it to differentiate products. it's akin to making me shell out $400 extra dollars if I want the laptop to have a trackpad, or if I want both the left and right halves of the screen to work
  - paulcole 3y ago
    It’s not akin to that at all. A laptop has one screen. You may like having 2 extra monitors but to call it a basic feature is clearly wrong. It’s a basic feature to you. To Apple, for whatever reason, it’s a premium feature. You’d probably be better off with a different laptop if you’re looking for a budget option that meets your needs.
    - goosedragons 3y ago
      It is a basic feature. I dare you to find a single laptop not made by Apple with an MSRP of $1000+ that only does a single external monitor that's currently sold. If all your competitors have it, it's table stakes. Sure SOME people can tolerate it or are dumb enough to reward Apple for it, but it doesn't make a basic feature premium.
      - JumpCrisscross 3y ago
        > If all your competitors have it, it's table stakes If all you do is tail the competition. Most laptop users don’t use a second monitor. This is a silly gripe.
rchaud 3y ago
If it doesn't include an overpriced dongle accessory, is it really an Apple product? Actually it would, my decade old MBP 13 has 3(!) ports for video out.
- MikusR 3y ago
  No dongle will help with only one native external monitor.
  - butlike 3y ago
    2019 Intel MBP has no native external monitor support. It's dongle hell all the way down.
    - MikusR 3y ago
      It has native support for 4 external thunderbolt displays.
    - squeaky-clean 3y ago
      But at least it can use a dongle to utilize 2 or more external monitors. The point is the base M1/M2/M3 cannot use 2 external monitors. At all. No matter how many dongles you buy.

yeah it is indefensible to me at this point that the base chips are still limited to one external display. I was willing to cut them some slack with the original M1 chip, thinking there might be a decent technical reason for it with their first generation of laptop/desktop chips, but three years later it is absurd

JumpCrisscross 3y ago
> it is indefensible to me at this point that the base chips are still limited to one external display They’re the base chip for a reason. Why would you add a feature a small fraction of that chip’s users would use when you can use that space for something else?
- wilsonnb3 3y ago
  > Why would you add a feature a small fraction of that chip’s users would use when you can use that space for something else? Because it is a basic feature! I am not asking for the moon here, I have no idea why the idea that a laptop should support more than one external monitor is controversial on this site.
  - JumpCrisscross 3y ago
    > Because it is a basic feature Not according to Apple. And, frankly, not according to me. Most laptop users will never hook up an external monitor. They don't need to. That's a fair base case.
    - goosedragons 3y ago
      Most users will never hook up a thunderbolt device so why not just have USB?
      - d3w4s9 3y ago
        ...Great counterargument. Also for SD card. I bet that many Macbook users who don't regularly work on photos/videos (e.g. developers) has very little use for SD card reader. And indeed it doesn't exist on MacBook Air. Somehow that is deemed essential on Macbook Pro. But for $1,599 you must be really deep into Apple's shoe to say 8GB and one external monitor is ok.

paulcole 3y ago

It’s not complicated. If you benefit enough from the 2nd external monitor then you can easily afford and justify the upgrade. If you’d just like the 2nd external monitor then go nuts and spend your money on the upgrade. Or don’t and buy a different laptop.

wilsonnb3 3y ago
I agree that it isn't complicated, for completely different reasons though. Supporting multiple external monitors is such a basic feature, it is absurd that apple insists on using it to differentiate products. it's akin to making me shell out $400 extra dollars if I want the laptop to have a trackpad, or if I want both the left and right halves of the screen to work
- paulcole 3y ago
  It’s not akin to that at all. A laptop has one screen. You may like having 2 extra monitors but to call it a basic feature is clearly wrong. It’s a basic feature to you. To Apple, for whatever reason, it’s a premium feature. You’d probably be better off with a different laptop if you’re looking for a budget option that meets your needs.
  - goosedragons 3y ago
    It is a basic feature. I dare you to find a single laptop not made by Apple with an MSRP of $1000+ that only does a single external monitor that's currently sold. If all your competitors have it, it's table stakes. Sure SOME people can tolerate it or are dumb enough to reward Apple for it, but it doesn't make a basic feature premium.
    - JumpCrisscross 3y ago
      > If all your competitors have it, it's table stakes If all you do is tail the competition. Most laptop users don’t use a second monitor. This is a silly gripe.

rchaud 3y ago

If it doesn't include an overpriced dongle accessory, is it really an Apple product? Actually it would, my decade old MBP 13 has 3(!) ports for video out.

MikusR 3y ago
No dongle will help with only one native external monitor.
- butlike 3y ago
  2019 Intel MBP has no native external monitor support. It's dongle hell all the way down.
  - MikusR 3y ago
    It has native support for 4 external thunderbolt displays.
  - squeaky-clean 3y ago
    But at least it can use a dongle to utilize 2 or more external monitors. The point is the base M1/M2/M3 cannot use 2 external monitors. At all. No matter how many dongles you buy.