#🔒 Best and most affordable macbook???

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chrome talon
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I'm going to study IT-network and security. Any recs for what macbook to buy?

frank cosmosBOT
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@chrome talon

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trail kraken
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why a MacBook?

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a Windows laptop will do fine, and you can dual boot Linux if you'd like

dense rover
# chrome talon I'm going to study IT-network and security. Any recs for what macbook to buy?

Firstly this is a python forum posts, so there must be questions and talking strictly related to python. Secondly there are so many factors to consider when buying a laptop such as:

  • budget
  • battery life
  • target specs (these depends on what you will want to do with it, if you will need a dGPU - dedicated GPU -, if you will need a strong CPU, etc.)
  • and other small factors like: port selection, display, quality build, upgradability (being able to add more RAM or another SSD in the future).
    If you want a more in-depth talk about this you should go to one of the OT channels such as #ot0-lord-invers-spirit-animal
verbal reef
verbal reef
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dont get any intel powered ones

dense rover
verbal reef
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i doubt

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mac's run arm so its just hard to compare to x86

thorn frost
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"affordable" and "mac" are pretty far apart.

If you really want a Mac, and it shouldn't be a used one, then depending on your needs you'll need anywhere above 700€ (~$800-900 USD).

If you want this purely for work I'd recommend a Linux laptop (you can get some laptop with some random DOS-OS and install Linux there).
Should be able to get something at the same quality of a Mac, depending on your needs, anywhere above 300€ (~$400 USD).

verbal reef
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u will never reach quality of low end macs with windows

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as much as i hate macs i gonna be real

trail kraken
verbal reef
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yet accurate

trail kraken
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to the prior Linux point: I rum a seven year old entryb level dell Inspiron laptop running Linux and it's great

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you're not going to be doing anything for your studies that needs a particularly beefy computer

verbal reef
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respectfully thats kinda not valid comparision, good for one isnt good for another

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u defo wont compare 7 year old laptop to new mac

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sure it runs

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thats about it

trail kraken
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I didn't say it did, but it runs great, can handle the programming tasks I do, and is snappy

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and it didn't cost me a grand

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there's never a *need" for a mac. They're good hardware, but the OS is fine and they're over priced.

Your average user doesn't really benefit from the m1 except perhaps in battery life, depending on what they're doing

thorn frost
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my cheap 300€ laptop has a battery life of way long enough.

trail kraken
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I use a Mac daily, I don't dislike them at all, it's just a very expensive product that OP likely doesn't need

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yeah, my above lasts for several hours

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and I've never replaced it

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there are also some good compatibility layers to run Windows programs on linux, and there are less options and way less free ones for Mac (I'm less confident in that because I haven't checked for a while)

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I was about to do an actual comparison, but I can't even find the technical specs on the neo webpage, so fuck it

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ah! there's a qwhole seperate page for the specs

thorn frost
# trail kraken I was about to do an actual comparison, but I can't even find the technical spec...

Hah, I remember looking at that with some others. Here's what I had to say:

We were looking at the market claim of the Macbook Neo (new product, apparently) costing only $599: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/03/say-hello-to-macbook-neo/

But e.g. for me the absolutely cheapest configuration I can get is for 699€ (= $813.53 ), and that gives me a 256 GB SSD, 8 GB of RAM, a keyboard without TouchID, without any additional warranty, and it's delivered without a charger.
#ot0-lord-invers-spirit-animal message

frank cosmosBOT
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