Loving Universal Control!

[Ben J.]

Man, I'm loving this feature!

Never really tried it much before, I used Sidecar a little, but since getting a like-new M1 MBA for cheap, I must say this is genius. So simple and so clever. I sit and watch sports or browse the web on my main screen on the Mini, a 55" TV up on the wall - and I reach for my MBA, open it up and I move my pointer over to it, using the same mouse as on the mini/TV. Now I can use both macs with the same mouse. I was never a trackpad person.

Same with my iPad, which is situated permanently in the middle of the room next to my mixing gear and acts mostly as a screen for the Avid Pro Tools app, EUControl. Lets me move the pointer to the ipad and not have to use my shakey old hands on the touch screen.

I had some troubles with it disconnecting and not remembering screen organization settings, perhaps because I'm pushing its limits a bit with two macs and an ipad, but it seems to have settled now.

Just had to vent.

Universal Control: Use a single keyboard and mouse between Mac and iPad - Apple Support

Use the keyboard, mouse, or trackpad of your Mac to control up to two other nearby Mac or iPad devices, and work seamlessly between them.

support.apple.com

 

[Ben J.]

Wait… I just found out why there might be connection problems; the guide that I linked to recommends a max distance of 1 meter(!) between devices. I expected something like the performance of bluetooth. And with all my devices being connected to the same network, the need for 1m distance I don't get.

 

[chrfr]

Man, I'm loving this feature!

Never really tried it much before, I used Sidecar a little, but since getting a like-new M1 MBA for cheap, I must say this is genius. So simple and so clever. I sit and watch sports or browse the web on my main screen on the Mini, a 55" TV up on the wall - and I reach for my MBA, open it up and I move my pointer over to it, using the same mouse as on the mini/TV. Now I can use both macs with the same mouse. I was never a trackpad person.

It sounds like screen sharing is the better option if you’re trying to remote control one of the Macs. Universal Control is really intended for use when all devices are on the same desk.

 

[Ben J.]

It sounds like screen sharing is the better option if you’re trying to remote control one of the Macs.

No. What I want is to control both, or all three of the devices, with the same mouse. The iPad works ok at 4-5 feet distance from the mini, but my MBA when it's further away doesn't. Closer, it works.

 

[Ben J.]

I'm back in love again. I've raised my mac mini, it now sits about 6 feet above the floor, on top of a wall mounted speaker, so that there are no physical objects between it and the MBA almost where ever I am situated in the room. Up to 10-12 feet seems to work fine. I put this down to the very sensitive bluetooth performance I've been used to since I started using minis a few years ago. Placing it on its side with the bottom facing out also helps.

Again, Universal Control, so simple, yet so genius; I sit across the room in a comfy chair, watching some sports streaming to my OLED 55", mouse on my right side, keyboard on the left - and my MBA in my lap. The game is a bit boring, so I open the lid on the MBA, grab the mouse and move the pointer over to the edge of the TV-screen, and voila, it shows up on the MBA and takes over its pointer. Two macs, one keyboard and mouse. You can even drag and drop files between them.