> And nobody in the right mind would buy a used Macbook for the same price, just because it's more powerful.
I would buy a used Macbook Pro for the same price, just because it is more powerful. I have bought used Macbook Pros for many years, and have never had any problem. Apple gear is durable, and I've never had any SSD issues or problems with dead pixels. The laptop I'm typing this on is a 2021 M1 Max, so 5 years old now, and I just did an SSD health check, it is 100% after 5 years of heavy use. It easily has 5 more years of life.
Used computers are a better value. If you want an Apple, I'd buy a used macbook over new, and a used thinkpad is just awesome, it's a really nice machine and will serve you well. I would go with the thinkpad. Also check out Dell outlet for refurbished and scratch and dent, I've bought from them several times. https://outlet.us.dell.com/ also back market: https://www.backmarket.com/en-us/p/lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon...
When I was a student, I almost exclusively bought used computers online and generally had positive experiences, and never had a bad experience. It's not like a car where you need a professional pre-purchase inspection, it's pretty easy to check.
If you are going to get a used computer, check the remaining SSD life, remaining battery life, and inspect the screen for dead pixels. Lots of sources online for how to do this. The advantage of refurbished is this is taken care of for you.
If you want your mind blown, think back that in 2015, 8GB RAM was considered a lot of RAM and people would regularly compile linux and freebsd kernels on such systems.
Auto manufacturers have been using robots for decades to paint, weld, machine, cast, and manufacture critical automobile components and even entire chassis.
Don't know. Plugged it in one morning, and it wasn't turning on. So I tried detaching it from its base because that had been a problem before, but it was dead, so you needed to find the little manual release thing that's inside one of the vents, which I didn't have a tool for, so I gave up on that. Then I turned to ask a coworker to try their charging cord (as mine had to be replaced once after it failed, and I assumed the same thing had happened again), and by the time I got back to my desk a small whisp of smoke was rising from the keyboard, which is strange, because to my understanding that's not where the computer bits are in that laptop.
So I unplugged it, at which point I noticed the smoke was increasing. So we doused it in CO2 (maybe N2, idk, some cheap gas we had lying around for the wetlab), pried the computer part off of the base, and then IT handled sending it back to M$.
I, too, am a dinosaur, but touchscreens on removable screens/tablets are the way to go!
My friend, just imagine: Slide screen out of laptop, it's a standalone tablet. Connect some wires to it and you have an oscilloscope. Do some diag. Connect USB buses to it, and read some codes. Carry it around in your garage and take photos of your stuff, the images get recognized by AI and you've updated your garage inventory, it's uploaded to your Homebox running on a mac mini in a shelf somewhere. It has a built in cellular and you can be out in a park taking a picture of a baby owl, mark it with GPS, upload.
When you are done roaming the world loading in data and snapping pics, sit back down, connect the tablet to a keyboard, or even a thunderbird cable for your external display and peripherals, and write up some code or a report. Then in the evening, go play some games, all on the same computer.
I'm rocking a framework 13" intel 12th gen still and I love it. The only issue I had was being part of the few that got a batch of bad hinges. I didn't know there was a replacement program I could have used and just replaced them myself with the heavier hinge option. At this point I have every expansion port thing they offer and keep them in my bag. My laptop can have any I/O I want :) pretty cool.
I bought an M1 Max with 64G RAM a long time ago, and am perfectly happy with it. I thought about getting a refurbed M4 Max when the M5 Max comes out, and decided my next computer will be a Dell Rugged, just because I want a Rugged laptop for auto diag stuff, and I thought I could kill two birds with one stone and get something with an NVIDIA card for learning CUDA. I've been using the Rugged basically nonstop while the M1 Max gathers dust. I think I may be done with Apple laptops now, a rugged laptop running linux is so nice. I love the keyboard, I love the upgradability, the OS is snappy, and I can use so much nice software. I added a 4TB SSD and now have 7 auto diag virtual machines with volvo, VAG, BMW software, and keep the host linux to myself. I have not had so much fun with a computer in a very long time. Both battery bays are full and my mac mini takes care of blue bubbles and is a home server for inventory management and backups. If for some reason I miss the Apple Experience, I can always RDP into the mini. Keeping a mini under the desk at home and a rugged laptop outside the home is my new sweet spot.
I would buy a used Macbook Pro for the same price, just because it is more powerful. I have bought used Macbook Pros for many years, and have never had any problem. Apple gear is durable, and I've never had any SSD issues or problems with dead pixels. The laptop I'm typing this on is a 2021 M1 Max, so 5 years old now, and I just did an SSD health check, it is 100% after 5 years of heavy use. It easily has 5 more years of life.
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