You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
Any idea how to have dual monitors on a mac air? The specs note that you can have dual monitors with 'adapters'. What are they? It does not work if one monitor is connected to an HDMI and one is connected to Thunderbolt. Has anyone been successful in setting up a dual monitor system?
MacBook Air, macOS 13.2
OK - last response. No version of the current MacBook Air supports two external monitors natively.
The MacBook Air with Intel silicon did.
But our users have been trained - by Apple - that they can have: a) a lightweight, small, reliable form factor, b) that will run two external monitors without drama, c)running MacOS.
Now they are upset because the platform that they know and love is a hassle rather than a pleasure.
Because Apple has reduced the capability of the platform. That is why I am complaining. And no, in the business world we are not free to buy whatever we want. We are expected to meet the requirements of our users.
OK - last response. No version of the current MacBook Air supports two external monitors natively.
The MacBook Air with Intel silicon did.
But our users have been trained - by Apple - that they can have: a) a lightweight, small, reliable form factor, b) that will run two external monitors without drama, c)running MacOS.
Now they are upset because the platform that they know and love is a hassle rather than a pleasure.
Because Apple has reduced the capability of the platform. That is why I am complaining. And no, in the business world we are not free to buy whatever we want. We are expected to meet the requirements of our users.
I do not understand what you mean by "Adapters do not increase the number of supported displays." I have several different employees who are using that J5 dock to drive two external monitors. Most prefer to use the MBA screen with dual 24" monitors on a monitor arm, so technically they are using three monitors. Or am I mistaken and they are only using one external monitor and the second is used as a place to hang post-it notes?
And the MBA lineup with Intel silicon could drive two external monitors without drama. So it is acceptable business practice for Apple to degrade the expected performance of this line of laptops without communicating it to end users in advance?
It supports only one extended monitor, but there is a workaround that I am using with my M1 iMac.
I have one external display via USB C.
I have a second display, to which I connected an old 3rd gen Apple TV, and that display I am using as an extended display via airplay
They work great for a business environment - dual 24" HD monitors. Nothing special.
The MBA is the correct tool for this group as they are frequent travellers and every gram is important to them.
Weight, size and productivity far outweigh the requirement for frame rate or high dpi applications.
Our devs and designers only get MBP and high dpi monitors.
Our Dell and Lenovo users have no problems meeting these requirements of weight, size and productivity. Does Apple want us to just move this type of user to Windows and be done with it?
This dock has worked for me - but does require installation of their proprietary driver.
https://en.j5create.com/collections/docking-stations/products/jcd542
Apple needs to fix this if they want to keep selling these new MBA units to business environments. The old Intel silicon units worked great.
Thank you. I know that now but the IT support person said the opposite. I did read there are two ways to work around this issue - display link software is one. Instant view I think is the other? I did try both. The second worked with a pluggable brand video adapter. The pluggable dock for some reason did not work with display link. So for now i have it working with two external. Will see how it goes with work this week. SHOCKED apple of all companies doesn't allow two external.
Thanks for the link! I will be sure to tell my people that the J5 dock does not work and that any external displays that they can see beyond the 'officially supported' number = 1, is, in fact, a mirage.
BoilerGR wrote:
This dock has worked for me - but does require installation of their proprietary driver.
https://en.j5create.com/collections/docking-stations/products/jcd542
Apple needs to fix this if they want to keep selling these new MBA units to business environments. The old Intel silicon units worked great.
Adapters do not increase the number of supported displays.
Apple does not need to fix anything. If you need multiple external displays you buy a Mac model that supports multiple external displays.
If you need 32GB RAM, you do not buy a Mac with 8GB RAM. If you need a 1 inch hole you do not buy a 1/2 inch drill bit.
BoilerGR wrote:
Thanks for the link! I will be sure to tell my people that the J5 dock does not work and that any external displays that they can see beyond the 'officially supported' number = 1, is, in fact, a mirage.
You are not understanding how external displays work. Yes you can physically connect more displays. No, the performance of the displays will not be as expected. It may work for typing text. But display of video or game playing will be reduced quality. If your employees don't care that the additional displays are not operating at spec, then I guess the work-around meets their requirements. I would opt to get the correct tool to do the job, IE higher spec Mac that supports multiple displays if I wanted to use multiple displays.
Your model MacBook Air incorporates native support for one external monitor.
MacBook Air (M2, 2022) - Technical Specifications
Refer to (Apple menu) > About This Mac > Resources > Specifications > Video Support
MacBook Air (M2, 2022) - Technical Specifications describes external monitor support. If you have reason to believe that document is in error, then please contact Apple and request that they correct it.
Here you go:
How many displays can be connected to MacBook Pro - Apple Support
"Using a hub or daisy-chaining displays doesn't
increase the maximum number of displays that you can connect. Connect
the display with the highest resolution first."
BoilerGR wrote:
They work great for a business environment - dual 24" HD monitors. Nothing special.
The MBA is the correct tool for this group as they are frequent travellers and every gram is important to them.
Weight, size and productivity far outweigh the requirement for frame rate or high dpi applications.
Our devs and designers only get MBP and high dpi monitors.
Our Dell and Lenovo users have no problems meeting these requirements of weight, size and productivity. Does Apple want us to just move this type of user to Windows and be done with it?
The specifications are published by Apple. Apple has Macbook Air/Pro with the silicon chips that support multiple external displays. You have the option of purchasing the silicon Macs with the Pro or Max chips that support multiple external displays. Why are you arguing that the lower spec M1/M2 should support multiple displays? Just buy the Mac with the specification you need.
Buy whatever you want. If a Windows computer better meets your needs buy a Windows computer. Make sure if your workload requires a Windows computer with 32GB RAM that you don't buy a Windows computer with 8GB RAM then complain that Windows computers won't perform to your expectations.
I have a mac air m2. I need two monitors/displays for work.
