That’s right, I bought myself a Macbook. My hackintosh was getting old and I really strugled with my daily workflow so I decided to jump on the hype train of Apple’s amazing M1 SoC. And I have to say, the rumors were right.
What I didn’t know was that Macbook Air 2020 M1 is limited to one external display only. The same goes to Macbook Pro M1 2020 13-inch and Mac Mini M1 2020 (all 1st gen M1 computers). I really needed to use 2 external displays plus the builtin display.
I started to search the internet and found a lot of articles about it but no one was trying to find the solution, they just informed people that this is the way it is.
Not for me.
DisplayLink technology is the solution
I read about a technology called DisplayLink (don’t confuse with DisplayPort). It creates a virtual graphic card (software driven) and using DisplayLink compatible hub, it can connect multiple monitors. And it worked.
What you need:
- DisplayLink software compatible with macOS such as DisplayLink Manager Graphics Connectivity
- USB hub / docking station compatible with DisplayLink technology such as Dell D3100, Dell D6000, HP USB-C/A Universal Dock G2 or some i-tec capable one
I found a deal on Dell D3100 so I got that one. The only downside is that it doesn’t support power delivery using the USB-B to USB-C cable. You have to power your mac using the other port. It is just a matter of how much you want to pay for it.
