Exploring the weird world of 'Headless' MacBooks

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Over the past year or so I've noticed an increase in so-called 'headless MacBooks'... With display replacements for a cracked MacBook screen sometimes running in the hundreds of dollars- more than the value of many machines, people have turned to running their MacBooks as desktops without a screen attached! This means you can still use your mouse and keyboard (and battery) for a minimal setup. But how practical is this concept? Today I bought a cheap MacBook off eBay to try it out for myself!
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Опубликовано:

19 авг 2023

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Комментарии : 1,8 тыс.

@lukemiani

Pro tip: newer Apple Silicon Macs have antennas integrated into the lower case so in the future we won't have to create weird taped together antenna bars in projects like this...

@AshishBeck

The guy who sold him the MacBook for $60 watching this right now: 👁️👄👁️

@pureretro5979

I did this in the early 2000's with an old Powerbook and used it as a server. The integrated battery meant it would keep going for a few hours even after a power failure. It was also small enough to mount on the underside of a desk.

@TechTipsUSA

Note:

@mbrock5532

For $60 he got the equivalent of a Mac Mini with the keyboard and trackpad which saves a lot of money, but another thing that I didn't see mentioned in the comments I read is that you also get a battery backup so if the power goes out your computer doesn't go off as well. So, you save money on the cost of a battery backup unit as well. Great video, Luke!

@giousy02

When you said the only downside is you can’t use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth cause of the antenna placement i was like “no way Luke is gonna stop at this”. And like always you didn’t disappoint ❤

@gristlelollygag

The current position of the antenna blocks the airflow, so it would be great if you 3D printed a small housing for the antenna that resembles those on WiFi routers, so it folds out upwards. Then you could keep the camera at the tip of that antenna!

@vincentwindels210

If I were to go so far as to disassemble the MacBook, I wouldn't stop there, and I'd proceed to enhance the cooling performance directly, maybe in a larger or open case. It's possible that you could still use or remove the keyboard separately. I would approach the speakers in the same way. It would involve more effort, but it could really maximize the potential.

@sir.fender6034

I did the same thing to a gaming laptop. I ripped the screen off and connected it to a good monitor. Funny thing, the battery life almost doubled with no monitor attached.

@cesarespinozaspain

A friend of mine did the same thing with a touch bar 13 inch, she also made a DIY desk and made a slot in the front were it sits flush with the top of the desk, it has space in the sides for the connections and room underneath for cooling, but the top of the desk hides it. The result is a slick as hell desk with built in Macbook pro and older studio display. It looks like it came out of a cyberpunk movie.

@sammy0boi

Fantastic video! You inspired me to try with an old MacBook I had with a broken screen - now I have a headless Mac with Wi-Fi!! 🙌🏻😊

@ugniuszukas1776

For anyone planning to do this i have some tips for you:

@Evie0133

headless MacBooks are pretty dope, it's like having a Mac Mini and a Magic Keyboard (w/ Touch ID for some Macs) + Trackpad combo rolled into one, a neat way of reusing MacBooks with smashed displays, and potentially better than the Mac Mini if you prefer your MacBook's IO :D

@NEConforti

Ran my first "headless" MacBook around 2011, was too broke to afford a full blown rig and wanted to start learning FCP. Simpler times.

@Widderic

I found a screen for my 15" MBP Mid 2014 on Ebay for 110 bucks! I've kept this sucker alive for almost a decade. It's been through 3 batteries, some new thermal paste, and an upgraded SSD. And I'm still rocking High Sierra because I wanted to keep using my 32 but applications like Final Cut 7 and Reason 4.

@sunpapa9107

Hey Luke...I've been rebuilding these for a few years for family and friends. I place the antenna in a piece of White PVC with a couple of Black end caps. I stuff the LCD hinges into the end caps and screw them back down like normal. It comes out looking real professional and it works great. I call my Frankenstein Apple creation "The Mac Skinny"