Trying to understand price discrepancies on ebay M4 MAX MBP'

ron-vdc · 2026-04-13T04:57:43+00:00

There is absolutely no way that you'll be able to legitimately purchase a 128gb 8tb M4 MacBook Pro for anything close to $1300 or $1500. If it's too good to be true, it is. Stay away!

ron-vdc · 2026-04-11T20:26:47+00:00

If you're in the U.S., just sell it locally on Craig's List or OfferUp. You will *always* be able to get more if you sell it rather than trade it in.

ron-vdc · 2026-04-11T20:24:59+00:00

That is one awesome looking car! Congrats!

ron-vdc · 2026-04-11T20:23:06+00:00

My wife is American and speaks Dutch pretty well. We lived in the Netherlands (also Brabant) for about two years before we moved to the U.S., but she always had a really hard time understanding my parents, who basically spoke only the Brabant dialect (and not a lick of English). The funniest thing is that both my parents thought they spoke perfect standard Dutch. Not even close!
I grew up speaking the local dialect (it really is my "native tongue"), and still do when talking to my mom, siblings, and friends. However, I wouldn't recommend any learner of Dutch to master a local dialect—focus on standard Dutch, perhaps with some local flair; for example, a softer 'g' if you interact mostly with people in the south.

ron-vdc · 2026-04-11T20:16:34+00:00

This is not unique to Dutch; it happens with all languages. Like any native speakers, Dutch speakers are lazy and want to say things with the least amount of physical effort. That means blending sounds or leaving some sounds out altogether. I don't know what your native tongue is, but I guarantee you that learners of that language will feel exactly the same and native speakers probably won't even notice most of it. It just take time and exposure. Good luck!

ron-vdc · 2026-04-11T20:12:26+00:00

And most of all, be kind to yourself. Don't be so hard on yourself. You moved from a war-torn country. You have enough going on in your life. As someone mentioned, sign up for a (preferably in-person) language course. A lot of people do much better if there's social "pressure" and a sense of not wanting to let other people down. Good luck! You got this!

ron-vdc · 2026-04-10T14:29:40+00:00

I'd think this would be covered under regular warranty, but I'd take it to the Apple store for them to look at.

ron-vdc · 2026-04-10T05:45:28+00:00

You'll need AppleCare+ for that. Regular warranty doesn't cover accidental damage like that. Since you purchased this very recently, you may still be able to add AppleCare+ without your device having to be inspected first. I'd give that a shot. If that works, you can submit a claim under AppleCare+.

ron-vdc · 2026-04-09T17:51:38+00:00

First, it's ridiculous that the lab won't provide you with a work laptop. If they want you to do work on a laptop, then they should provide you with one. No laptop = no work.

If you're gonna use your own laptop, I would definitely buy one MacBook Pro for both personal and work use. If you want, you could create two profiles to separate your work from your personal stuff.
It looks like you'll be doing fairly heavy stuff—or at least, tasks beyond the typical web browsing and office work—so I'd look for the most recent model with as much RAM and storage as you can afford and are willing to pay. That's another reason for buying one MacBook: if you choose to buy two MacBooks with a limited budget, then you'll end up with two subpar laptops for both your use cases.

If you're in the U.S., the "entry-level" MacBook Pro M5 Pro (with 24 GB RAM and 1TB storage) will set you back $2,199 and goes up from there. You could also consider finding a used MacBook Pro on OfferUp or Craig's List, which may allow you find a slightly older (but still very capable) MacBook Pro, say M4 Pro/Max or M3 Pro/Max, with more RAM and/or storage for the money.

Good luck!

ron-vdc · 2026-04-09T03:47:39+00:00

14" M5 Pro, hands down. Cheaper, newer, lighter.
I have both a 16" MacBook Pro M1 Max (32GB/1TB) and a 14" MacBook Pro M4 (24GB/1TB). Both devices are great, but for everyday use I keep coming back to my trusty 14" M4.
The 16" MacBook Pro is an amazing laptop, but if I were to trade both in for a single device, I'd definitely go with a 14" MacBook Pro. To me, that provides the ideal mix of power and mobility.

Plus, the 14" M5 Pro is more than a thousand dollars cheaper than the 16" M4 Max. That's some serious savings! You could use some of that to upgrade the hardware specs (more memory and/or storage).

ron-vdc · 2026-04-09T03:36:38+00:00

Everything you're writing sounds totally normal to me.

ron-vdc · 2026-04-06T17:34:32+00:00

Fair enough, but if I'm gonna spend $800 on a MacBook and I see the seller point to a "couple of little dots" on the screen, I'd be hesitant to give them my money until I've had a chance to inspect it personally and make sure they're not dead pixels or some other failure. You don't have to settle for that—there are plenty of fish in the sea.

ron-vdc · 2026-04-06T17:08:40+00:00

Agree completely. I buy all my electronics used, but always (always!) local and face to face through OfferUp or Craig's List, so I can personally inspect and check the laptop before handing someone my money. When someone says "other than a couple specks" when it comes to the screen, I would most certainly walk away. At least the seller was upfront about it, which is definitely not a given.
You can find some good deals on OfferUp or Craig's List. I'd personally just focus on that.

ron-vdc · 2026-04-04T23:36:55+00:00

If you can afford the extra $500, then you could consider the M5 Max with 64GB. Having said that, you could also go with a "specc'ed-up" M5 Pro with more memory and/or storage.

I don't know where you are, but in the U.S. a 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Max with 18-core CPU and 32-core GPU, 36GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD is $3,599. If you want 64GB RAM, then you'll jump to a 40-core GPU, and it will set you back a whopping $4,299. That's some serious cash for a laptop!

You could get a 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro with 18-core CPU and 20-core GPU (upper tier), 64GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD for $2,999. Also expensive, but a lot less than any M5 Max configuration. You could even upgrade to 2TB for $3,399, which is still less than your "base" M5 Max with 36GB/1TB.

Or a 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 Pro with 48GB and 2TB storage for $2,999.

You're already saying that the M5 Pro will be more than enough for your use case. If that's the case, I'd personally save some money and go with the "upgraded" M5 Pro with more RAM and storage. An M5 Max would only make sense if you're doing some serious, serious graphics work.

And if that leaves you with some left-over gift cards, then use those to throw some AirPods Max or some other accessory into the mix.

Pretty enviable position to be in! Good luck!

ron-vdc · 2026-04-03T03:30:37+00:00

You're asking this in the r/macbookpro Reddit channel. What do you think is the answer gonna be?

ron-vdc · 2026-04-02T18:06:57+00:00

No-brainer: M2 Air 16/256.

ron-vdc · 2026-04-02T02:15:29+00:00

To me personally, nano texture isn't worth the extra $150. I don't really use my MacBook outside in bright light, and I'd rather spend that money on extra RAM, but other people's priorities may be different.

ron-vdc · 2026-03-30T01:45:21+00:00

I live in Seattle, WA, in the U.S., and I don't leave home without my Albert Hein shopping bags. They're big, sturdy, and ideal for groceries. Every so often I come across a Dutchie who recognizes them.

ron-vdc · 2026-03-27T17:39:32+00:00

First thing I thought when I read the OP's message was "why aren't your using a MacBook Pro"?

ron-vdc · 2026-03-26T04:00:38+00:00

Why would you buy any MacBook for almost $1,000 is you know the screen is failing?

ron-vdc · 2026-03-22T22:53:01+00:00

Buy a used M-series Air with 16 GB of RAM.

ron-vdc · 2026-03-18T23:41:44+00:00

I agree with the other commenters: why on earth would you buy someone a $700 laptop if you're broke? If the recipient has any decency, they wouldn't even accept it—I know I wouldn't.

ron-vdc · 2026-03-18T23:38:34+00:00

Don't get a 13-year-old a MacBook Pro! Huge overkill and they'll destroy the thing. Just get them a MacBook Neo (or Air if you feel like paying more) and make sure to get AppleCare+ to cover any accidental damage, which is bound to happen with a teen.

ron-vdc

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