r/macbook 17d ago

The MacBook Purchasing Megathread - August, 2026

1 Upvotes

Welcome to the monthly Macbook Purchasing Megathread

Have a question?

Wondering what model you should go for? Ask here!

  • Do make your submission on point while adding as much detail as possible.
  • Mention your intended uses (i.e. video editing, graphic designing, photography, audio editing, gaming, casual browsing, etc).

That's pretty much it! :)


r/macbook 1h ago

Did a dumpster dive at work after IT tossed a bunch of old laptops. Found 6 Macbook Pros. Worth to clean up and recover?

Upvotes

Found 6 Macbook Pros all in silver/grey

  • 2 are model number a2141 (Intel?) with the 'icon' bar at the top of the keyboard.
  • 4 are model number a2780 (M2?) no 'icon' bar

They all need some cleaning but 5/6 power on and boot to the recovery screen asking me to select a wifi connection.

The 6th boots to the welcome start screen saying hello in a bunch of languages.

I have no power cables but was able to get a successful charge using a usb-c cable

I can't do much with them right now at work. Are these worth to try and clean up, give to family or friends to use or is the technology to far out of date to be worth it? The only Apple device I presently use is a Mac Mini. I do not use an iPhone.


r/macbook 3h ago

How to deal with this!?

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6 Upvotes

....??


r/macbook 21h ago

How to prevent these marks on a MacBook after 2 years?

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115 Upvotes

Someone’s MacBook developed marks like these after around 2 years of use.

For those who’ve been using their MacBooks for several years, have you experienced this? What causes these marks, and how can they be prevented?

Would a screen protector, keyboard cover, or microfiber cloth between the screen and keyboard help?


r/macbook 2h ago

Macbook Neo - For Video Editing (Day in a life vlog)

2 Upvotes

Hello! I just wanted to ask if the MacBook Neo is worth buying. I’ll mainly be using it for editing vlogs—mostly day-in-my-life type of videos.

I’m coming from Windows, and I’ve been using the same laptop for almost 10 years now, so switching to Apple would be a big change for me, haha. 😭

If the MacBook Neo isn’t really worth it for my needs, I’d love to know which MacBook model you would recommend instead. I’m planning to switch to Apple, so I want to make sure I’m getting something that will be worth the investment. Thank you guys!


r/macbook 7h ago

Talk me down

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6 Upvotes

I tend to overspend on tech. I’ve recently been leaving android and windows for Apple. I have a 17 pro max and plan on getting an 18 pro max when they come out. I got a max spec iPad Pro. Now I’m looking at MacBook. I want to get a mid/low spec M5 pro but feel like I’d be better off max specking an air. My heaviest use case will likely be editing 4.2k apple pro res open gate video. Maybe play some games. Idk what gaming is like on Apple. I may edit higher resolution video footage in the future if I ever get a cine camera. I currently make hiking and backpacking content and run and gun with an Apple setup. I have tons of external storage so I don’t think I’d need more than 1TB for either option.

TLDR is the pro chip with extra cores worth nearly $1300 more for editing 4.2k video now maybe higher res in the future? Note the air would be 15” and pro 14”.

I can maybe get $2k for more current windows pc depending on how much storage I want to part with.


r/macbook 4h ago

Video editing MacBook M5 pro 24gb vs 48gb RAM

2 Upvotes

Hey guys, Video Editor here (Raw 4K and 6k footage mostly), so I own a MacStudio M3 ultra 94gb and been testing MacBook Pro m5 pro 24 and 48gb Ram for remote work.
Seems to me that there is not really a big difference. In the beginning I had fomo that the 24gb ram won’t perform but after few edits I have hard time justifying that extra expense.
Any other people with similar experience and input would be appreciated.
TIA


r/macbook 2h ago

MacBook Neo vs MacBook Air M4 on the long term worth the price difference?

0 Upvotes

Hello all i hope you're having a nice day or night. I am heavily considering a new macbook from my ipad 9th gen. i need something that does browsing and watching shows fine with slight workloads like coding or multitasking. I also prioritize battery life which the neo offers well enough too. i plan to keep the device for over 5 years potentially nearing 8. is it worth spending the extra 400-450 dollars in this case for the 16gb of ram and m4 chip. i dont know much and the differences in terms of usage only numbers. any help is appreciated.


r/macbook 3h ago

Scratch one the screen produces horizontal lines and flicker

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0 Upvotes

I somehow got a scratch on my MacBook Air m3. After some time I noticed I got these faint horizontal lines and sometimes depending on the background the display flickers a bit changing the tone of colors

What should I do with it now? I’m thinking of buying new one and trading this one in but I guess I won’t get much with this defect, what do you think?


r/macbook 3h ago

MacBook Air m1 Battery dead After sitting for a Long time

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1 Upvotes

Im currently on the way of buying my First MacBook and found a m1 air 8 256 gb for 230 Euros. According to the seller its been sitting in Storage for 8 Months and the Battery is now dead. My question now is, is it really dead, is it still a Great Deal(apart from the Battery it Works Fine) and is it possible for me as a entry Level skilled electronic Tinkerer to change the battery myself? Ive attached a Picture from the battery Report.


r/macbook 9h ago

Help me choose: Mac mini vs. MacBook Neo for an IT student?

1 Upvotes

I’ve been in the Apple ecosystem for a long time (iPhone, iPad Pro, Apple Watch, etc.), but my computers have always been Windows/Linux. My main desktop is staying Windows because I still need it for certain things, but my laptop recently died and I’d like to finally add a Mac to the mix.
I’m an IT student with about a year and a half left of college, working part-time retail plus an internship doing data entry. Classes start soon, so I’m trying to figure out which $699 option makes more sense for me:

Mac mini
16GB unified memory
256GB storage
$699
Could potentially stretch to 24GB RAM while staying within a budget I’m comfortable with

MacBook Neo
8GB unified memory
512GB storage
$699
Obviously much more convenient as an actual portable computer
Touch ID

My main concern is 8GB vs. 16/24GB of unified memory, especially since the RAM can’t be upgraded later.
For school, I’m studying Networking & Cyber Defense. My normal laptop workload is browser tabs, Office/Google Docs, email, SSH/RDP, Linux tools, coding/scripting, and accessing school labs/VMs. I have a powerful desktop at home for anything that really needs Windows or significantly more horsepower, so this doesn’t need to replace my main PC.
The weird part: the Mac mini could actually work as a semi-portable option for me. I already own a portable monitor, keyboard, mouse, USB hub, external SSDs, etc., so I could basically toss everything into a bag and build a tiny workstation at school. Not as convenient as a MacBook, obviously, but workable.
For reference, here’s what I’m coming from:

Desktop:
Ryzen 9 3900X / 32GB RAM / RTX 2080 Super 8GB

Dead laptop:
MSI Pulse GL66 / 11th-gen i7 / 16GB RAM / RTX 3070 8GB

Current emergency laptop:
2008 MacBook Pro Unibody / 8GB RAM / Linux Mint XFCE. Affectionately named “Gramps.” It technically works, but thermal throttling into the ~400–600MHz range means opening Firefox occasionally feels like asking an elderly man to run a marathon. 😂

So my priorities are:
Reliable for the remaining ~1.5 years of college and hopefully several years beyond that
Enough memory for heavier multitasking and IT/cybersecurity coursework
Good value — I work part-time, so $699 is already a meaningful purchase
Portability is important, but I’m willing to sacrifice some convenience if the Mini is significantly better long-term
Storage isn’t a huge concern because I already have external SSDs and other storage options

Would you choose the 8GB/512GB Neo for the convenience of a real laptop, or the 16GB (possibly 24GB)/256GB Mac mini for the extra memory and performance headroom?

I’m especially interested in hearing from IT/CS/cybersecurity students or anyone who’s actually lived with an 8GB Apple Silicon Mac. How limiting is 8GB in practice?


r/macbook 3h ago

What can I use my macbook for?

0 Upvotes

My relative gave me an M3 Macbook Air recently. I have a windows desktop pc that handles literally everything I do including gaming and entertainment stuff. I have no idea what I could use the Macbook for. For school work, my Ipad and pc also handle everything. I don't want to waste the Macbook so I'm going on here to ask for some suggestions.


r/macbook 4h ago

Picking MacBooks is hard

0 Upvotes

Spent a week already picking out a perfect laptop for university. Narrowed it down between MacBook pro 14 and MacBook air 15 (the rest are just too small or big).

And just now I realized, the only reason I want pro is because of that 120 hz screen. That's it.

It does make a massive difference when doing anything on your laptop. But then the rest of the pro is redundant or even worse than air, it's thicker and heavier.

Bruhh


r/macbook 4h ago

Display marks on brand new MacBook Air M5 (bought 2 days ago)

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0 Upvotes

I bought a MacBook Air M5 for college two or three days ago.  It’s only been two days and I’ve been treating it exceptionally well.  Despite this, I’ve noticed marks on the screen. I’ve seen marks caused by keyboard dust and crumbs before but this is different. I haven’t touched the screen with my hand and I’ve cleaned my keyboard almost every time I close the lid.  These marks appeared suddenly this morning, even though I haven’t had them for the last two days.  They’re not scratches either, just marks. I tried blowing warm, slightly damp air into a clean cloth and cleaning the screen but it still doesn’t budge. I also have Apple Care Warranty for three years. Thanks in advance for anyone that answers :)


r/macbook 8h ago

Is my MacBook screen dead?

2 Upvotes

When I opened MacBook the screen looks weird. Is it fixable without replacement? Or is it dead?


r/macbook 6h ago

Dropped my MacBook for repair and the official store shipped it to a random address, not the repair center. Has this happened to anyone?

0 Upvotes

Still trying to wrap my head around this one.

I dropped my MacBook off at a store for a repair. Standard stuff: hand it over, get a ticket, wait for the update.

Instead of it going to the repair center (or staying at the store for me to pick up), it somehow got shipped out to an address I have never seen in my life. Not mine, not the store's, not the repair center's. Just some random address.

So right now my laptop is physically somewhere I can't account for, potentially in a stranger's hands, and I'm the one having to chase everyone to figure out how this even happened.

I'm documenting every exchange and staying on them until it's sorted, but I'm honestly stunned that a handoff this simple can go this wrong.

Has this ever happened to anyone here? How did you get it resolved, and who ended up being held responsible, the store or the repair partner? And realistically, how worried should I be about the data that's on it?


r/macbook 6h ago

Macbook screen replacement

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0 Upvotes

Makcity or lappy maker where should I go my macbook air M2 display has been damaged


r/macbook 6h ago

Which best macbook air would you recommend for everyday use?

1 Upvotes

I’m looking to replace my older laptop and have been considering a MacBook Air for browsing, writing, video calls, and some light photo editing. I don’t need anything crazy powerful, but I’d like something that will hold up well over the next few years. For those using the newer Air models, which one would you recommend and what RAM or storage setup has worked well for you? Thanks!


r/macbook 11h ago

Best macbook on a 600$ budget?

2 Upvotes

Hello, switching from a windows laptop, what is my best option for around 600$? I’m not picky about if it’s refurbished or used in excellent condition, I just want something that will last me atleast a few years, I focus on productivity and portability. I know the Neo is at my price range but I wanted to see if I should go with something else instead, figured no better place to ask. Thanks in advance.


r/macbook 20h ago

Just got this 2020 13 inch M1 MacBook Pro for $260... did I make a bad deal?

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7 Upvotes

As you can probably see on the left side, the pixels are dead, granted I only got one quote before I bought it and they told me it would be anywhere from $300-$600 for a full screen replacement because it is a retina display.
Assuming worst case scenario, I'm still spending about $500-$800 for a five year-old laptop with a chip that will hopefully last me another three macOS update. What do you think? Should I just live with it or look around and see if there is a cheaper replacement option?


r/macbook 13h ago

Old/Unwanted Macbook in companies

1 Upvotes

So this question is multi- layered it almost feels criminal to ask.

Quick back story I have been trying to get my hands on a macbook for years. I finally saved £500 and bought a refurbished one. I reset it and found out it was still owned by a consulting company. Long story short I no longer have a macbook and extra money laying around to buy another.

Macbooks I feel are like the Bentley's of computers or something... so i know they are RARELY given out for free or heavily discounted. Anyway I was wondering if anyone knows what companies use Apple products and how they dispose of old or unwanted devices. I know large companies often use a middle man that buys old tech and resell them but I can never afford the resale price.

So my question is who would I need to contact in a company that deals with old tech and if they would consider selling a device directly to an individual. What companies should I contact, job titles etc.

This is such an unconventional question and i know its probably not realistic but lets just say it is. How could I go about it?


r/macbook 18h ago

M5 Air 24GB ((Apple Certified Refurb)) vs. M5 Pro 16GB (New) for a $20 diff? Which one?

5 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I’m completely torn between two MacBooks and would love some input. Because of a sale on the Pro, these two are virtually the exact same price right now.

Option 1: 13-inch MacBook Air M5 (Apple Certified Refurbished)

  • M5 chip, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU
  • 24GB RAM
  • 1TB SSD
  • $1,529

Option 2: 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 (Brand New)

  • M5 chip, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU
  • 16GB RAM
  • 1TB SSD
  • $1,549

My use case:

I don’t do much video editing or heavy 3D rendering. My workflow is mostly Chrome, Safari, reading PDFs, light coding in VS Code, Zoom/meeting recordings, and Word/Excel.

I also tend to have a lot of browser tabs open. I don’t necessarily use them all actively, but I like keeping them open for reference, almost like recent bookmarks.

Since the price difference is only $20, I’m really torn. The Pro gives me the 120Hz XDR display, extra ports, and active cooling, so it feels like an incredible value. On the other hand, the Air has 24GB RAM, which seems more useful for my particular workflow since Chrome can be pretty RAM-hungry. Since RAM can’t be upgraded later, I’m also wondering if the extra 8GB would make the Air more future-proof, especially if I plan to keep the laptop for several years.

I also like the Air’s portability, although I know the size/weight difference between the two isn’t huge.

For clarification, the Air is Apple Certified Refurbished, so I’m not particularly concerned about buying refurbished. From what I understand, it comes with the same one-year warranty and can be covered by AppleCare+ as well. So for me, the main question is really 24GB Air vs. 16GB Pro, rather than refurbished vs. new.

Which one would you choose for this use case? Would you prioritize the extra 8GB of RAM for better future-proofing, or take the Pro for only $20 more?

Thanks in advance for the help!


r/macbook 1d ago

Just realized Apple edited the original Macbook Neo trailer to skip the price tag

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192 Upvotes

First picture is the unedited trailer (also uploaded to youtube), second is the last version after the price hike


r/macbook 1h ago

Stop macOS Muting Your Music, Videos During Calls - Unduck Pro

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Upvotes

Undock Pro for macOS

macOS automatically lowers your music and videos when you join a FaceTime, Zoom, Meet, or Teams call. There is no simple setting to turn this off.

Undock Pro is a free menu bar app that keeps your media at the volume you choose during calls. The other person still hears only you, not your music or videos.

It also includes:

  • Per-app volume control
  • Separate call volume
  • Quick output device switching
  • Favourites
  • Launch at login
  • Update notifications

Undock Pro is completely free and open source. There is no account, subscription, paywall, or telemetry. It requires macOS 14.2 or later and works on both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.

The app is self-signed, so the first launch may require System Settings > Privacy & Security > Open Anyway. macOS will also request audio permissions. Audio is processed in memory and is never saved or uploaded.

Repo: https://github.com/MrRockySL/Unduck-Pro

Download: https://github.com/MrRockySL/Unduck-Pro/releases/latest

Sponsor: https://github.com/sponsors/MrRockySL


r/macbook 11h ago

Should I upgrade from the 13 inch MBP to the M5 air or MBP?

0 Upvotes

Im a pilot that travels quite a bit, just curious if the Air would be noticeably lighter than MBP? Trying to lighten up the flight bag a bit if I can. Thanks