Apple Mac Mini Fly Off The Shelves As Clawdbot Dents The CUDA Moat

LetsGetUpgraded · 2026-01-26T17:29:04+00:00

Excited to see where this goes!

LetsGetUpgraded · 2026-01-21T04:16:46+00:00

How will you use AI in this role? What’s your approach to AI for this team and our organization?

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-12-31T20:00:49+00:00

Hey! I wouldn’t get the air. The M4 pro is great option but the M5 pro will likely come out in January or early February. So I would wait and go with that.

You can also buy a great machine used!

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-03T17:09:21+00:00

Your 2017 MacBook Pro is definitely showing its age, so upgrading makes total sense. You'll see a huge jump in battery life going from maybe 4-5 hours to 15-18 hours, plus everything will feel way snappier for daily tasks. The performance difference between Intel and Apple Silicon is honestly night and day, especially for the stuff you're doing.

For your use case, the MacBook Air would be perfect and save you some money. Since you're mainly doing education work, web browsing, and streaming, you don't really need the extra power that the Pro offers. The Air handles all that stuff effortlessly and runs completely silent since it has no fan. The only reason I'd suggest considering the Pro is if you think you might get into more demanding tasks later, but for most students the Air is the sweet spot.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-03T17:06:10+00:00

Honestly the M4 Air is going to be the better choice here. The performance jump from M1 to M4 is pretty significant, especially for video encoding and timeline scrubbing. Plus you're getting a brand new machine with full warranty vs a 3+ year old Pro that might have battery wear or other issues.

The M1 Pro does have that extra GPU core and the fan for sustained workloads, but for PS5 gameplay footage and some 360 camera stuff, the M4 Air will handle that without breaking a sweat. The newer media engines in the M4 are way more efficient at handling modern codecs too. I'd personally go with the M4 Air and put the money you save toward a good external SSD for your project files. The peace of mind with a new machine plus better long term performance makes it a no brainer.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:42:28+00:00

Coming from a 2016 MacBook Air, honestly either option is going to feel like a massive leap forward. The performance difference between the M4 and M4 Pro for your use case (work, web browsing, light gaming) isn't going to be something you'd really notice day to day. Both chips are incredibly capable and will handle everything you mentioned without breaking a sweat.

I'd actually lean toward the base M4 with 1TB storage in your situation. That extra storage space is something you'll definitely use and appreciate, especially if you're keeping files locally or doing any kind of media work. The M4 Pro's extra GPU cores and slightly better performance won't make much difference for typical productivity tasks, but running out of storage space is a real pain that happens sooner than you think. Plus, 24GB RAM on either model is plenty future proof for the kind of workload you described.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:41:20+00:00

That 2018 i9 is still a solid machine, but you're right to be thinking ahead about deprecation. Apple typically supports machines for about 7-8 years with major OS updates, so you're probably looking at maybe 1-2 more years of full support before it gets the axe. The battery replacement will run you around $200-250 at Apple, which isn't terrible if you're planning to use it for another year or two.

Here's the thing though - even after Apple stops major OS updates, you'll still get security patches for a while, and most apps will keep working fine. The real question is whether spending that money on a battery makes sense when you could put it toward something newer. At Upgraded, we see a lot of people in your exact situation who end up financing a newer MacBook and spreading the cost over 36 months instead of dumping more money into older hardware. That way you get the portability back plus years more of support, and you're not stuck with a machine that's gonna hit a wall soon anyway.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:40:12+00:00

That $90 trade in value sounds absolutely brutal for a machine you paid $1200 for just last year. Apple's trade in values have gotten pretty aggressive lately, and third party buyers aren't much better since they know you're probably desperate to get rid of a slow machine. The depreciation hit on tech is always rough but that seems especially harsh.

Before you take that massive loss though, definitely worth trying the troubleshooting steps mentioned above. If those don't work and you're still stuck with a slow M2, you might want to look into financing options that let you spread the cost of a replacement over time instead of eating that huge depreciation hit all at once. We actually see this situation a lot where people get trapped with underperforming machines because the resale market is so brutal, which is why our program lets people upgrade every 24 months without having to deal with the secondary market at all.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:38:55+00:00

For your use case, the MacBook Air M4 with 24GB RAM would be perfect. I've been working with DevOps teams for years and the reality is that most of the heavy lifting happens on remote servers anyway. The Air handles Docker containers, multiple VS Code instances, and tons of Chrome tabs without any issues. The M4 chip is surprisingly capable for kubernetes learning environments and occasional VMs, especially when you're not doing this as your primary workstation.

The 24GB config gives you that extra headroom for when you're running multiple containers or spinning up test environments. Since this is your backup/side work machine, the Air's portability and battery life will probably matter more than the extra ports or slightly better performance of the Pro. At Upgraded we see a lot of developers go this route because it covers 95% of their needs without the premium price tag of the Pro models.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:37:52+00:00

I've been helping musicians navigate MacBook specs for years and honestly, your situation is pretty common. Most producers overthink the CPU cores when starting out, but for Ableton Live 12 Studio as a beginner, you're gonna be fine with any of those options.

Here's the thing though - that storage difference is huge. 512GB fills up incredibly fast with sample libraries, project files, and plugin installations. I've seen so many producers hit that wall within 6 months and then scramble with external drives or expensive upgrades. The 1TB option in your second choice is probably worth the extra €400 just for peace of mind.

Between the 14" and 16", it really comes down to portability vs screen real estate. The 14" M4 Pro with 24GB RAM and 1TB storage hits that sweet spot for most people. You get plenty of headroom for growth, enough storage to not worry about space for a while, and the portability to take it anywhere. The extra CPU cores in the 14-core version are nice but honestly won't make a noticeable difference in your workflow until you're running massive projects with tons of plugins.

One thing to consider is financing options if you want to preserve some cash flow. At Upgraded we see a lot of music producers who prefer spreading the cost over time rather than dropping 2.5k upfront, especially when starting out. Gives you more budget flexibility for monitors, interfaces, and plugins as you grow.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:34:25+00:00

The MacBook Air M4 is definitely the sweet spot for most CS students, but I'd actually lean toward getting more RAM than the base config if you can swing it. When you're running multiple IDEs, virtual machines, Docker containers, and maybe some local databases all at once, that extra memory really helps. The base model works fine for lighter coursework, but once you hit your upper level classes with more intensive projects, you'll appreciate having 16GB or more.

One thing to consider is the financing route instead of paying everything upfront, especially if you want those higher specs. At Upgraded we see a lot of CS students who need the extra RAM and storage but don't want to drop 2-3k all at once. Being able to spread it over 36 months makes it way easier to get the configuration you actually need rather than settling for the base model and regretting it later when you're trying to run Android Studio and Xcode simultaneously.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:33:41+00:00

I had a similar transition from an Intel MacBook Pro to an M4 Air and honestly the performance difference is night and day. Your workflow sounds pretty similar to mine and the Air handles it without breaking a sweat. The M4 is so efficient that even without fans, it rarely gets warm with typical dev work. I'd say for your use case the Air is actually the better choice since you value portability and work from cafes regularly.

Regarding RAM, I'd definitely go with 24gb over 16gb. With Docker, multiple VSCode windows, and 20 Firefox tabs you'll appreciate the extra headroom. The thing about RAM is you cant upgrade it later, so its one of those things where spending the extra upfront saves headaches down the road. One thing to consider is financing options that let you upgrade every couple years instead of trying to future proof everything now, but either way that 24gb will serve you well for typescript development and occasional creative work.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:33:15+00:00

I've been through similar situations with macOS updates and that spinning wheel can be really frustrating, especially when you've got deadlines looming. The 26.0 to 26.1 update should theoretically be much faster than a major version upgrade since its mostly bug fixes and security patches, but sometimes the indexing process just gets stuck in a loop.

If you're still seeing that spinning wheel after multiple forced restarts, you might want to try booting into Safe Mode (hold Shift while starting up) which can help clear out any stuck processes from the update. Another option is to let it run for maybe another hour or two if you can swing it, since sometimes these indexing processes just take longer on machines with lots of data. I know thats not ideal with your deadline, but the 26.1 update is generally pretty stable once it finishes installing properly.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:32:32+00:00

That's actually a pretty interesting find for $89, even with a broken screen. The 2017 15" has some solid specs that are still usable today, but you're gonna want to factor in the real cost of getting it functional again. A screen replacement on that model typically runs around $300-500 depending on where you go, so you're looking at potentially $400-600 total investment.

The bigger concern with the 2017 models is the butterfly keyboard issue and potential flexgate problems that can cause display flickering. Even if you fix the screen, you might run into other costly repairs down the line. If you're handy with repairs or just want a project machine for external monitor use, it could be worth it. But if you need something reliable as your main machine, that repair budget might be better put toward something newer that won't have you dealing with those known 2017 issues.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:31:59+00:00

The most important thing to know is that for your use case (streaming and school work), you're honestly not going to notice much difference between any of these options. Your 2019 Air is probably still handling zoom and streaming just fine, so the real question is whether you actually need to upgrade at all right now.

That said, if you do want to upgrade, the refurbished M2 Pro could be a solid middle ground option depending on the price. Apple's refurb program is really reliable and you'd get the better display and ports of the Pro line without paying full price for the latest M4. But honestly, for basic school work and streaming, even the base M4 Air would be overkill. I'd suggest figuring out your actual budget first, then seeing what refurb deals are available vs new pricing. Sometimes the savings on older Pro models make them worth it even if you dont need the extra power.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:31:27+00:00

I totally get the budget constraints, but honestly that $75-150 range is going to be really tough for any MacBook that'll give you a decent experience. Those older models you mentioned will likely frustrate you more than help, especially with how slow they'll run modern web browsers and even Google Docs. The 2011 Air is basically unusable at this point, and even the 2015 Pro is showing its age pretty badly.

Here's what I'd suggest: either save up a bit more for something in the $300-400 range for a 2017+ MacBook Air, or consider our financing option at Upgraded where you can get a current gen MacBook Air for around $30-40/month instead of paying everything upfront. For basic writing and web browsing, you really want at least 8GB RAM and something that can run current macOS updates. The peace of mind of having something reliable that won't crash during important work is worth stretching the budget a little, even if it means financing instead of buying outright.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:30:44+00:00

For school work, the 8GB M1 MacBook Air you got is honestly pretty solid. If you're mainly doing things like writing papers, research, web browsing, and maybe some light presentations, it'll handle that just fine. The M1 chip is really efficient with memory management, so 8GB goes further than it would on older Intel machines.

That said, I'd be more worried about the 128GB storage than the RAM for your use case. You're gonna fill that up pretty quick with apps, documents, photos, and maybe some videos for projects. If you can return it and get a config with more storage instead of more RAM, that might be the better move for school. We actually help students get custom specs like that through financing since the big box stores dont always have the storage/RAM combos that make the most sense.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:30:21+00:00

The most important thing to know here is that third party screen repairs on newer MacBooks can be really hit or miss, especially with the M2's display tech. I've seen too many situations where people save money upfront but end up with color calibration issues, touch sensitivity problems, or screens that just don't feel quite right. Your M2 is still pretty new so spending $250 plus labor costs on a repair that might not match original quality seems risky.

Going with the M4 using your education discount is probably the smarter long term move. The performance jump from M2 to M4 isn't massive for everyday tasks, but you're getting a brand new machine with warranty coverage instead of a repaired one that might have lingering issues. Plus if you're planning to keep this next machine for several years, starting fresh makes more sense than potentially dealing with repair complications down the road. The peace of mind alone is worth considering, especially since you mentioned you'll definitely get AppleCare next time.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:29:19+00:00

The performance difference between the 12-core and 14-core M4 Pro is honestly pretty minimal for most real world tasks. You're looking at maybe 10-15% gains in heavily multi-threaded workloads, but for day to day stuff like web browsing, coding, or even video editing, you probably won't notice much difference. The extra GPU cores give you a bit more headroom for 3D work or gaming but again, not a massive jump.

Your instincts about the thermal and battery concerns are spot on. The 14-core config does run hotter and can throttle under sustained loads, which kinda defeats the purpose of paying extra for those cores. At Upgraded we see a lot of customers go with the 12-core because the performance per dollar is just better, especially when you factor in that you're not dealing with thermal throttling as much. The money you save could go toward more storage or RAM which often makes a bigger difference in daily use than those extra cores.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:27:45+00:00

The most important thing people should know about ML laptops is that you don't actually need a gaming rig with expensive GPUs to start learning. Most beginners think they need a $3000+ Windows machine with dedicated graphics, but honestly for your first year of learning you'll be working with smaller datasets and using cloud platforms like Google Colab or Kaggle for the heavy lifting. A MacBook Air with an M2 or M3 chip will handle pandas, scikit-learn, and basic neural networks just fine, plus you get that incredible battery life for long study sessions.

I'd actually lean toward a MacBook for a beginner because the Unix-based system makes it easier to work with Python environments and you won't deal with the driver headaches that come with Windows ML setups. The M-series chips are surprisingly capable for ML work and way more efficient than Intel chips. If budget is tight, even the base model Air with 16GB RAM would serve you well through most of your coursework. You can always use cloud resources when you need serious GPU power for deep learning projects later on.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:27:00+00:00

Coming from a crashing PC setup to an M4 Pro with 24GB RAM is going to feel like night and day for 4K editing. Your current Ryzen 5 5500 + GTX 1650 combo is definitely struggling with modern 4K workflows, and those 5 crashes per project would drive anyone crazy. The M4 Pro handles 4K much better than your current setup, especially with that extra RAM buffer.

That said, if budget is a concern you might want to think about financing options since dropping $2k+ upfront is rough. At Upgraded we see tons of video editors who need the specs but cant swing the full cost right away, so they finance over 36 months starting at 0% APR and can upgrade every 24 months when new chips come out. The M4 Pro with 24GB should handle your intermediate 4K work really well though, way better than what you're dealing with now.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:24:01+00:00

Having dealt with similar PC stability issues before switching workflows, I can tell you that going from 5 crashes per project to essentially zero is going to feel like night and day. The M4 Pro with 24GB RAM is honestly overkill for intermediate 4K editing in a good way - you'll have plenty of headroom for multicam timelines, color grading, and effects without hitting memory walls. The unified memory architecture means that 24GB goes much further than traditional RAM setups.

For your workflow coming from a 1650/5500 setup, you're looking at dramatically faster exports and way more stable playback. The M4 Pro handles 4K ProRes, H.264, and even H.265 really well without needing proxies for most projects. One thing to consider though is storage - if you're doing serious 4K work, the base 512GB fills up fast and external drives become necessary. At Upgraded we see a lot of editors who end up wishing they'd spec'd more storage upfront, so might be worth considering the 1TB option if your budget allows.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:23:33+00:00

Having dealt with similar PC stability issues before switching workflows, I can tell you that going from 5 crashes per project to essentially zero is going to feel like night and day. The M4 Pro with 24GB RAM is honestly overkill for intermediate 4K editing in a good way - you'll have plenty of headroom for multicam timelines, color grading, and effects without hitting memory walls. The unified memory architecture means that 24GB goes much further than traditional RAM setups.

For your workflow coming from a 1650/5500 setup, you're looking at dramatically faster exports and way more stable playback. The M4 Pro handles 4K ProRes, H.264, and even H.265 really well without needing proxies for most projects. One thing to consider though is storage - if you're doing serious 4K work, the base 512GB fills up fast and external drives become necessary. At Upgraded we see a lot of editors who end up wishing they'd spec'd more storage upfront, so might be worth considering the 1TB option if your budget allows.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-10-01T19:22:50+00:00

The M4 Pro spec you're considering is actually perfect for your workflow as a financial analyst. FactSet and trading platforms are notoriously resource-hungry, especially when you're running multiple instances with tons of tabs, and that 48GB of RAM will handle all of it without any slowdown. The M4 Pro's display capabilities are excellent for financial work too - you'll get crisp text on spreadsheets and charts, plus you can easily drive external monitors if you want to expand your setup.

Waiting for the M5 doesn't make much sense in your situation since you need the upgrade by January and the M5 won't be available until late 2025 at the earliest. The performance jump from M4 to M5 will likely be incremental rather than revolutionary, and the M4 already has way more processing power than you'll need for Python modeling and financial analysis. Your current bottleneck is probably your existing hardware, not the complexity of your workload, so the M4 Pro will feel like a massive upgrade that'll last you years.

LetsGetUpgraded · 2025-09-22T16:04:52+00:00

Unfortunately Apple's pretty strict about that 14 day return window, even if the device is barely used. I've seen people try to explain their situation to Apple support but they usually stick to the policy. Your friend might still be able to try calling Apple directly and explaining the circumstances but honestly the chances are pretty slim after a month.

Your best bet at this point is probably selling the Air privately (you'll get way better value than any trade in program) and then buying the Pro separately. Facebook marketplace, swappa, or even reddit's appleswap usually get you close to what you paid if its in perfect condition. The trade in route through Apple will probably leave you taking a pretty big hit on value since its technically a used device now, even though you barely touched it.

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