You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
I’ve got a 2017 MacBook with a single usb c that I plug a hub into to charge and drive an external 27” monitor. Appl3 says that I can only mirror another external monitor, not extend the desktop.
It looks as though a 2019 or 2020 MacBook Air would allow me to extend the desktop across 2 external monitors. Can anyone confirm if this is doable? Thanks 🙏
Bump for the weekday crowd.
I cannot be certain, but I would say you could extend the desktop on the existing Mac - it's just in monitor settings. Why not get a USB > HDMI (or whatever input you have) cable and test it on something (a monitor, TV or whatever). The cost of a cable will be <£10 so surely worth a try?
We have used Mac laptops (Airs and Pros) with external monitors set up as extended displays at work for years and I am sure the Airs will have been 2017 and older.
I can extend to 1 additional monitor but not 2 - only mirror.
I want to be able to extend across 2 so that I have 3 screens (laptop + 2 externals) all showing different things.
It’s important to make sure your Mac is powerful enough to drive any external displays at the resolution and refresh rate you need. One easy way to do this is to check the technical specifications of your particular model. To find your model, click the Apple logo in the top-right corner of the screen and choose “About This Mac.”
Search for your exact model on Apple’s website (e.g., “MacBook Pro Retina mid-2012”), and then click “Support” to reveal the technical specifications sheet. Under “Graphics and Video Support” (or similar), you should see something like, “Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display, and up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on up to two external displays.”
Recent MacBook Pro models can support four external displays at 4K, or two at 5K. Some people have connected more than the recommended number of displays successfully, although this usually results in a significant hit to performance.
singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/macbook-air-multiple-displays/#post-11170849
Thanks all. Having 2 USB C ports on the Air means I can plug 2 cables in, so should be a goer. I think I'll take the chance.
Hey, from experience we have a couple of users with the new Airs, they use a usb-c to displayport cable ( using Dell U2518D monitors ) and a Startech hub like this one connecting the power and HDMI to a second monitor.
https://www.ebuyer.com/842986-startech-com-usb-c-multiport-adapter-with-4k-hdmi-video-power-delivery-dkt30csdhpd
It works ok but does have a big hit on performance and battery sometimes.
Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display at millions of colors and:
One external 6K display with 6016-by-3384 resolution at 60Hz at millions of colors, or
One external 5K display with 5120-by-2880 resolution at 60Hz at millions of colors, or
Up to two external 4K displays with 4096-by-2304 resolution at 60Hz at millions of colors
Should be fine. NB this is the spec for 2020, do your homework for 2019 version if necessary.
Doh, sorry I mis-read the OP question. Sorry, ignore me.
I've ordered a 2019 MacBook Air from the refurb store. There are 2 USB c ports so it should be fine. Just need to order the hub now. Thanks again for all the pointers.