Which monitor for Macbook Pro and Surface Pro?

July 21, 2017 3:47 AM

I'm looking at replacing an ageing iMac with a new Macbook Pro plus external monitor. I've also got a work-issue Surface Pro 4 and would like to be able to use the external monitor for that as well. The main question is, what monitor should I be looking at?

My thinking is that I would get a monitor with a USB C connection for the Macbook Pro and then a displayport or HDMI for the Surface Pro, to minimise plugging and unplugging.

For bonus points, I'd like to use an external keyboard and mouse, and minimise plugging and unplugging - would bluetooth be the way to go (or would it create issues pairing with two laptops)?

posted by Mattat to Computers & Internet (5 answers total)

I believe that since El Capitan the MacBook Pro has absolutely sucked when it comes to non-mac e.g. Logitech or Microsoft wireless mouses/mice of any sort. This may change as drivers get updated but in the near term I'd stick to the either mac's magic mouse or the Magic Trackpad. The trackpad is better imo, both ergonomically and for the multi touch gestures which are really quite cool, and apparently it works okay with windows though I can't vouch for that personally.

Keyboards are less problematic but decent Bluetooth options are limited and of course without Bluetooth you'll need a USB c adapter (but of course you'll need a hub for external drives anyway). Switching a receiver is probably less hassle than establishing a new BT connection every time you switch computers.

I use my MacBook Pro with a BENQ PD3200 4K and I absolutely love it! I always had an impression that BENQ was kind of second tier, but I will never go back to Dell after this.
posted by moorooka at 6:00 AM on July 21, 2017

Best answer: It may be true that this is the case for all of them, but I would recommend making sure any monitor with USB-C capability also provides the ~60-85W to power the macbook.

As far as I know, 13" macbooks/pros need 60W but 15" need 85W.

This isn't exactly a recommendation, I have a work-provided ultrawide Dell U3417w, which I really like, but I have read there are many better choices in the ultrawide market. I have a corded monitor and mouse hooked up to it, and it has two toggle-able USB 3.0 upstream ports and 4 downstream USB, so when I hook up my surface pro at home, I just toggle over to the other upstream port and my keyboard and mouse now work with the surface.

I really like the 34" curved ultrawide (3440x1440), but if i was purchasing a new monitor for myself, I'm not sure if I would choose that or something like a 27-28" 4-5k like an LG 27UD88 (3840x2160) (which would sadly make me give up the the toggle-able inputs and doesn't provide the usb-c port enough power for the 15" macbook-only 60W)
posted by czytm at 6:08 AM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: I would skip the 2017 and 2016 Macbook pros and get a refurbished 2015 MacBook Pro with top specs (I mean maxed out graphics card, 1tb SSD, 16Gb RAM). It will be cheaper and you will have more performance for the buck.

Then for the monitor you can get an LG 27UD58 (get the revision with the better stand!). It is a 4K monitor that is pretty cheap and super good for its price (about €330).

Now you can connect both laptops using the same cable: a DisplayPort to Mini DisplayPort.

I would get a separate mouse for the Surface and the Mac, connected via Bluetooth. A Magic Mouse for the Mac, and a Logitech one for the Surface Pro. You can also look at Microsoft's mice. For the keyboard you could theoretically use the same USB keyboard for both computers. In this case I would go for Apple's wired USB keyboard. Both computers I am talking about have USB-A ports so you can plug it in.

The problem is that USB-C is not mature and you will pay a premium to be able to use it, especially in your 2 computer situation. There will be almost no gain, and a lot of adapters.
posted by wolfr at 6:34 AM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

Hah, I just went through this, with a new MacBook Pro (with touchbar, which I don't like FWIW). I went with a Dell Ultrasharp 27" as it has a lot of good reviews. It's being shipped so I do not have it set up yet.
posted by carter at 7:33 AM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]

A strong second recommendation for the Dell Ultrasharp line. If your budget allows it, they are really fantastic monitors. They're not as expensive as the Apple-branded monitors and, as far as I can tell, they're just as good (if not better). I'm using one with a (previous generation) Macbook Pro right now and it works great.

I wouldn't worry too much about getting a monitor that supports USB-C ports (what Apple calls "Thunderbolt 3"). You can get cables that will work to connect to the Thunderbolt 3 outputs of the laptop to the Displayport, HDMI or even the VGA ports of the monitor.
posted by Betelgeuse at 11:47 AM on July 21, 2017 [1 favorite]